Doris B. (Bartles) Murphy

Doris B. (Bartles) Murphy, 95, of Columbia, passed away peacefully on Monday, September 27, 2021, surrounded by her loving family at her home in East Donegal Township.  Born Friday, August 6, 1926, in Bainbridge, she was the daughter of the late Samuel and Elizabeth (Spayd) Bartles.  She was first married to Dale C. White for over 28 years until his death in 1978.  She then went on to marry William J. Murphy for over 17 years until his death in 1998.  She was then the companion of Charles Goodling for nearly 20 years.

Doris, or “Sooky” as her friends knew her, was an avid golfer and bowler. She also loved to roll bocci ball. She was a graduate of the Bainbridge High School Class of 1942. She worked at Wyeth Laboratories in Marietta for 11 years as a flu vaccine technician. She taught remedial reading at the Maytown Elementary School during the late 1960’s, and volunteered at the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank for many years.

She was a longtime member of the English United Presbyterian Church of Marietta, and late of the Zion United Church of Christ in Marietta. She sang for many years in the church choir and you could always hear her singing something if you were around her for any amount of time. She was a wonderful hostess and cook and loved entertaining her family and friends. Her family will dearly miss her annual pork and sauerkraut dinner on New Year’s Day, a tradition that went back to the early sixties.  

She is survived by a son, Dale C. White II, married to Eileen, of Landisville, as well as three stepchildren: Michael Murphy, married to Doris, of Mechanicsburg, Patty Shannon, married to Tim, of Morgantown, Terry Lovejoy, of Carlisle; and Doris’s companion, Charles Goodling, of Elizabethtown. Also surviving are many grandchildren, great grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, extended family and caring friends.  In addition to her parents and husbands, she was preceded in death by a sister, Loretta Hoffman, wife of Paul “Pete” Hoffman, and a brother Ernest “Humpy” Bartles, husband of Frances Bartles. 

A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 am, with visitation preceding at 10:00 am, on Thursday, October 7th, 2021 at Wayside Presbyterian Church, 600 Stoney Battery Road, Landisville, PA 17538, with the Rev. Dr. Stephen P. Fritz officiating (masks are required in the church).  Private interment will be in East Donegal (Reich’s) Cemetery, Marietta. Arrangements have been entrusted with the Smedley-Finkenbinder Funeral Home & Crematory, 29 North Gay Street, Marietta, PA  17547, 717-426-3614.

Flowers will be received at Wayside Presbyterian Church or memorial contributions may be made in Doris’s memory to the American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org or to the Wounded Warrior Project, https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org

Condolences and memories may be shared at: www.FinkenbinderFamily.com

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