David C. Murley

David Chadwell Murley was born in Crane, TX on Wednesday March 30,1932 to Warren Thad and Olga Chadwell Murley and was the younger brother to Warren Thad Murley, Jr, fourteen months his senior. The family moved to Spur, TX in August of that year and David was baptized at The Presbyterian Church of Spur on October 30, 1932. David and Warren began elementary school in Trenton, TX and continued there through the 4th grade. The family then moved to Bailey, TX where David and his brother completed grade school together, with many believing they were twins. In 1949 David graduated from Bailey High School as valedictorian with his older brother being salutatorian. He began his collegiate career at North Texas State University in Denton, TX but after one year transferred to East Texas State University, earning a degree in biology. While taking a gravimetric analysis chemistry class, he met Emma Louise (Lou) Fisher of Bonham, TX. David and Lou were married on June 19,1954. David began a path toward dentistry at the Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas. In March 1955, they welcomed their first child David, Jr. After three years of dental school, David decided to change career paths and was accepted to The University of Tennessee College of Medicine in Memphis, TN. While in Memphis, David and Lou welcomed their second son, John Patrick, in February 1958. David graduated with a Doctor of Medicine in 1959 and the family moved back to Dallas for internship and surgical residency at Methodist Hospital of Dallas. While in Dallas, their third son, Michael Scott, was born in December 1960. After the completion of his training in June 1961, David and the family moved to Winnsboro where he, with his brother Warren, established Murley Medical and Surgical (M&S) Clinic at 600 East Coke Road. With two ‘Dr Murleys’ in town, they quickly became known as ‘Dr. David’ and ‘Dr. Warren’. In May 1965, David and Lou welcomed their fourth son, Stephen Lynn into the family which by now had settled into the family house on Circle Drive. David and Warren would practice medicine together for the next 49 years, becoming an integral part of the health and care of the people of Winnsboro and the surrounding area. After his brother’s death in December 2010, David would continue to operate the clinic by himself until 2013 when he sold the clinic to Dr. Mark Clothier. However, he wasn’t quite ready to hang up his stethoscope and continued to see patients at the Wood County Health Clinic in Quitman, TX. In 2019, at the age of 87, he ended a medical career that spanned 58 years.

David enjoyed working on cars and airplanes. He earned an FAA Airframe and Powerplant mechanic’s license. He enjoyed machining and spent many hours at his lathe and vertical mill turning larger pieces of metal into smaller pieces of metal and shavings. He also enjoyed traveling with Lou and was particularly fond of Germany.

He and Warren were named Men of the Year by the Winnsboro Area Chamber of Commerce in 1985. In May of 2019, David was honored by a Texas House Bill Resolution (HR2800) for his exceptional career in medicine that spanned more than half a century. In February 2020, the Commissioners Court of Wood County issued a proclamation, thanking David for nearly 50 years of serving Wood County as Medical Director.

David is preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Lou and by his sons Patrick and Michael. He is survived by sons David, and wife Susan of Boerne, TX and Stephen, and wife Jackie, also of Boerne, TX. He is also survived by 12 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.

The family would like to thank Ann Williams for her years of friendship and support as a next-door neighbor. They would also like to thank Marcie Duffy and her husband Melvin for their diligence, kindness, and support. Lastly, they would like to thank the caring staff at The Lodge at Leon Springs Assisted Living Center and New Century Hospice.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to a charity of your choice.

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