Dolores "Dee" Murphy

Dolores "Dee" (Blakely) Murphy, 92, of Ottawa, passed away Wednesday, April 15, 2026 at the Pavilion of Ottawa with her family by her side.

A visitation will be held on Wednesday, April 22 from 9:00am until 10:30am at Ottawa Funeral Home. Mass of Christian burial will take place at 11:00am at St. Patrick's Catholic Church. Burial will follow in St. Columba Cemetery.

Dee was born October 24, 1933 in Ottawa, IL to Norman and Marguerite "Peg" (Dwyer) Blakely. She married Kenneth Murphy on May 17, 1952 at St. Patrick's Church in Ottawa. She was his "beautiful bride" until his passing on August 5, 2014.

Dee worked as a gym teacher at St. Pats, at Carson's for over 20 years, and ultimately was a dedicated employee of Walmart for 34 years. She enjoyed doing ancestry, watching movies, playing bingo, and going to different social events with her husband, Kenneth. They were very proud of their Irish heritage and took many trips to Ireland over the years. They hosted children from Ireland every year and were great supporters of the Irish Children's fund. She also enjoyed trips to Mexico, was an avid Bears fan, and was especially loving of animals. She was a lifelong member of St. Patrick's Catholic Church.

She is survived by her children, Kathleen Ulrich and Kevin (Cynthia) Murphy; her grandchildren, Michael Ham, Emily (Brad) Horath, Bridget (Joshua) Boley, Catherine (Mike) Eib, Cordelia (Jon) Pena, Kenneth (Kylie) Murphy, and Cassidy (Keegan Avery) Murphy; as well as her 11 great grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Norman and Peg; her husband of 62 years, Kenneth; and her sister, Marilyn Garcia.

Memorial contributions in her honor may be directed to her family.