Mark Earl Murphy III, 81, of 212 County Route 55, Saranac Lake, New York died and laid down his working tools 21 October 2017 of complications from Lewy Body Dementia.

Born in Burlington, Vermont on October 19th, 1936, he was the eldest son of Mark E. and Marion Margaret (Matott) Murphy. Mark was raised in the Plattsburg, New York area and learned carpentry and other trades from his father.

In 1955, he joined the U.S. Army and was with the Special Forces. While in the Army for 11 years, he served at numerous Army posts in the U.S. and in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, France, and Germany. He rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant and was fluent in English, French, and German.

While stationed in France, Mark met the fiery and intelligent Annie Deleury. They married in her home town of Joué-les Tours, France on Aug. 9, 1958. After he left the Army in 1965, they moved to Saranac Lake. He worked at various local businesses including Jackson’s Dry Cleaners (which they bought and operated until 1971) JJ Newberry, and Paul Smiths College. Later, Mark and his wife Annie started, owned, and operated for over 30 years two businesses - Murphy’s Cleaning and Restoration and Murphy’s General Contracting. He also was the caretaker of several camps on Spitfire Lake.

He was an active member of St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Bloomingdale and past Master of Whiteface Mountain Lodge #789 of the Free & Accepted Masons. He was a devoted father and husband and enjoyed working with his hands.

He is survived by one son, Andrew (Patty) Murphy of Pensacola Beach, Florida; four daughters: Marie-Aymee Fisk of Paul Smiths, Karen (Curtis) Page of Saranac Lake, Susan (Timothy) Goff of Vermontville and Jessica (Eric) Kinsman of Saranac Lake; nine grandchildren: Charles (Christina) Fisk, Patrick Fisk, Aymée-Lynne Fisk, Bruce Page, Phillippe Goff, Travis Goff, Samuel Goff, Alexander Kinsman and Nathaniel Kinsman; his brother, Jack Vincent (Margaret) Murphy of Chewelaw, Washington and his three sons and one daughter, and the 12 children and their familes of his late sister.

He was preceded in death by: his wife, Annie Murphy, two sons: Charles Francis Murphy and Mark Earl Murphy IV, one son-in-law, Charlie Fisk, and his sisters, MaryAnn Murphy, Catherine (Murphy) LaBrake.

Funeral arrangements are in care of the Fortune-Keough Funeral Home in Saranac Lake. A Mass of Christian burial will take place on Saturday November 4 at 11am St. Paul’s Church in Bloomingdale, with the Rev. Patrick Rattigan officiating. Burial will follow at St. Bernard’s Cemetery in Saranac Lake.

Friends wishing to remember Mark may make memorial contributions to the Paul Smith’s – Gabriel’s Volunteer Fire Department, Saranac Lake Volunteer Rescue Squad or North Country Home Services in care of the funeral home. Family and friends can also share their memories and sign the online guestbook at fortunekeoughfuneralhome.com.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mark Earl Murphy III, please visit our Heartfelt Sympathies Store.