Christendom College mourns the passing of longtime benefactor and faithful friend of the college John F. “Jack” Murphy, who passed away peacefully at his home in Williamsburg, Virginia, on July 28, 2026. For years, Murphy generously supported Christendom’s Best Week Ever high school summer program, making it possible for thousands of students to attend and be transformed by it. He was 87 years old.
Born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on December 1, 1938, Murphy graduated from Presque Isle High School before earning his bachelor’s degree from Washington and Lee University and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. He served his country as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army before beginning a distinguished career with the Securities and Exchange Commission, where he rose to become Branch Chief in the Division of Corporation Finance.
Outside of his professional career, Murphy devoted more than forty years to serving others. He volunteered with numerous charitable organizations and Catholic ministries, coached youth sports, served his parish in a variety of capacities, and remained a faithful daily Mass attendee throughout his life. He was a generous benefactor as well, including to Christendom.
Murphy first learned about the college’s summer program in 2007, thanks to an article in the college’s Instaurare magazine, quickly becoming impressed with the impact it was having on young people. He sent his first donation in that year and never stopped giving for the remainder of his life.
“Although he had no children or grandchildren to profit from this summer program, he understood the impact that this program has in recruiting students,” says Vice President for Undergraduate Enrollment Tom McFadden. “Each year, during each session of the Best Week Ever, the students offered their holy half-hour for Jack and Leslie Murphy, and following the conclusion of their session, those who benefited from their generosity sent thank-you testimonials. Our office would combine the hundreds of thank you letters each summer and send to the Murphy’s with our great thanks.”
Murphy’s generosity toward Christendom was rooted in the same spirit of service that animated so much of his life. Like Christendom founder Dr. Warren Carroll, who often reminded students that “one man can make a difference,” Murphy understood that investing in the formation of young people could bear fruit for generations.
“For nearly twenty years, thanks to the Murphys’ generous annual donation, the Admissions Office has been able to offer both financial aid and scholarships to literally thousands of students, many of whom would have never been able to attend without their generosity,” says McFadden.
His support of the summer program reflected his deep belief in the transformative power of Catholic education and in Christendom’s mission to restore all things in Christ. Through his generosity, countless students who otherwise may not have been able to attend the program were given the opportunity to encounter Christendom’s Catholic community, many of whom later enrolled at the college themselves.
“Benefactors like Jack Murphy embody Dr. Carroll’s saying, ‘one man can make a difference,’” says Jacob Stevens ‘23, who attended the Best Week Ever in 2018. “Due to his generosity, I was able to attend the Best Week Ever, which got me to eventually attend Christendom College. Without him, my vocational journey and life path would be radically different. Thanks to him, my journey of Christ-centered formation in joyful Catholic community was able to begin. His impact on the scores of students who attended the Best Week Ever and, in turn, enrolled at the college is hard to put into words.”
“It was thanks to Mr. Murphy that I attended Christendom’s high school summer program and ultimately decided to give Christendom a deeper look in my college discernment,” says Bernadette (Rodriguez) Macik ‘25, who attended the Best Week Ever in 2020. “Thanks to that one ‘best week ever,’ I enrolled at Christendom for the best four years of my life, growing academically and spiritually in a community which has enriched my love for Christ. I am humbled as I reflect on my college experience, seeing how Mr. Murphy’s generosity was the instrument God used to bring me closer to Himself.”
Jack Murphy’s decades of generosity toward Christendom’s mission will never be forgotten. Through his quiet support of the Best Week Ever, he opened the door for thousands of young people to encounter a faithfully Catholic education and a Christ-centered community. His legacy will continue to live on in the lives of the students he helped bring to Christendom, and he will be deeply missed by the entire Christendom community.
Murphy is survived by his beloved wife of more than forty-two years, Leslie; his cherished godchildren, Heather and Andrew, and their parents, Christine and Greg Gaudette; several cousins; and his faithful dog, Penny.
May his soul, and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.