Welcome friends and family!
Thank you for being here!
I am one of Les’ sons, Jim Murphy. What a blessing to see all of you here through this crazy week of weather!
I’m honored to be able to share some memories of growing up with Les. One of the first memories of him goes back to when Tim and I first met him.
● Our mom wanted us to meet this guy that she met
● Tim and I are about 4 and 5, so we drive to Great Valley and to what we now call
the “Farm”. This is where he lived and later became our home in middle school
and through high school.
● We got there and she introduced us to him as “Mr Les” It stuck!
● I remember he had a hand held weed wacker and he had us mulch up some grass, our beginnings of working on the farm!
Mom, God brought you and Les together at a critical time in our lives.
● He became our father, your business partner, and the leader of our family at an
important time in our lives.
● You endured a love for him until the end.
He loved to talk!
● He loved to tell stories
● Stories upon stories of the past. I recall taking rides with him and it just being story
after story of this place or that, this person or that person.
● Looking back Tim and I didn’t really appreciate it at the time but it created a rich
understanding and connection to the history of this town and its people.
While helping mom run the restaurant Mr. Les was always striking up conversations with patrons and always meeting new people and over the years those people have become lifelong friends.
● The “Canadian” friends became a welcome escape from the grind of the restaurant for Mom and Mr. Les
● There is one particular friendship they struck up that became very impactful to Tim and I
● This is how I recall the story, others may have better insight into additional details that are missing but this is from my perspective....
● A guy had come into the restaurant late one evening. He was an outgoing fellow and got the attention of Mr Les. I guess through the discussion of his situation it became known that he had no place to stay, he had lost his keys to his hotel and had no place to stay.. Well I guess with the town being booked up, Mr. Les gave him the keys to the house at the “Farm”, we still lived in Ellicottville so the house was available. So he stayed at the Farm that night.
● The next morning Mr. Les wanted us to meet this new friend that he met last night at the bar,
● I recall Tim and I were about 7-8, I thought it was quite strange for him to want us to meet someone from the bar...
● but anyway we went up to the house to meet him. It was Bob Guyett.
● It became an enduring relationship that even included Tim and I ushering at his
wedding!
● Through his flaws he showed Tim and I a great love and probably exposed us to
some experiences that will need to wait for another time to be shared!
● I stayed connected with him until his final days and had a great conversation with him about Christ and forgiveness before he passed.
Going to church was always important to him. He did help shape my faith growing up,
● He accused me of being an atheist because I didn’t like going to church, but I
explained to them it wasn’t that I didn't like going to church, it was that I believed
the money we gave to the church should be going towards mission work.
● Because of this they got me started in working at Camp Duffield preparing the
camp for the summer camps.
● I loved it and continue to have a passion for missions and serving others to this
day.
He had a passion for singing...
● Every Thursday night he would go to choir practice
● Later he would sing with other groups one of them is here with us today
I did not experience life with him while he served in the Air Force, but I always admired him for this. I had a love for flying at a young age and I had an appreciation and hidden pride knowing that he flew airplanes. He was dedicated to serving our country. Sarah, David, Tim, & Kate I’m sure can attest to this.
He helped Tim and I create a good work ethic, outside of the restaurant we started our first jobs mowing lawns.
Skiing: he introduced Tim and I to the love for skiing.
● On Monday while skiing with all 4 of my kids I was reminded of his love for skiing
● What a Legacy of skiing he left me, and I’m able to share that with my kids
● Skiing down Tantambaum between the evergreens was such as reminder
● He always wanted to take me out West, recall skiing with him in Whistler. He was so excited to have me with him.
● Me being 40 years younger you would think I could keep up with him. We skied every day from opening to closing. It took me 3 days to build up my endurance to skiing in the mountains with him. I remember him not wanting to even stop for lunch!
His love of the Farm/woods a legacy of a love for God's creation
● In the end he needed to have one more last trip to the woods.
● By the grace of God a hurricane was hitting Florida and Tim and Jenn offered to
take them out of harm's way and what was met to be a short trip to New York.
● After getting to New York and Tim giving him his final trip to the woods he declined
fast
● Tim and Jenn were put into a position of caring for him as he prepared to leave
this earth.
● Love of the land and the woods. In his final moments Tim and Jenn opened their home to help him pass peacefully looking out over the green meadows and woods that he so much loved.
“Along our journey through life, we are shaped by the people God puts in our lives.” Through the good and the bad he has shaped who I have become.
Lord, we thank you for Mr. Les’ life. What an experience he gave us! Through the ups and downs of life with him I hope we are all better for it. I pray that as we move on we are thankful for the blessings God has given us and the world he has created for us knowing that we have a greater heavenly home waiting for us, through Christ, if we so desire to receive it.
