William Murphy, bar owner, basketball officiator

William H. "Big Daddy" Murphy, 84, a congenial tavern owner and longtime basketball officiator, died of heart failure Friday, March 18, at home in Roxborough.

Mr. Murphy purchased a bar in Roxborough in 1968, and Murphy's Tavern became a popular gathering place for neighbors and sports figures, including former Dodgers manager Tony Lasorda and high school and college basketball coach Speedy Morris.

Don Tollefson, who hosts a pregame TV show for the Eagles, discovered the bar in 1975 soon after moving from California to Philadelphia to be a reporter for WPVI-TV. Not knowing the local liquor laws, Tollefson tried to buy a six-pack at a convenience store. The clerk sent him to Murphy's Tavern, where he was warmly welcomed by the owner.

Tollefson had a couple of beers and the "best bar pizza ever" before leaving with his six-pack. He would return often and said that "Bill Murphy became my East Coast dad. He was a sweet man who made every customer feel special."

Mr. Murphy continued to own Murphy's Tavern for a few years after buying Ye Olde Ale House in 1987, a family restaurant in Lafayette Hill. The new venture gave him a chance to entertain adults and their children as well, his family said. He greeted every customer with a big smile and his infamous one-liners, they said.

In 1994, an Inquirer food writer described Ye Olde Ale House as a destination for "a spectacular hot roast beef sandwich with sneeze-inducing horseradish and sinful fried mushrooms." The writer said a customer would be "especially blessed" to "get a taste of owner Bill Murphy's special brand of charm."

Though in recent years Mr. Murphy had turned the restaurant's operations over to his daughter and son-in-law, Joanne and Chris Bass, he was there every morning and every Wednesday and Friday night, they said.

Mr. Murphy attended St. John the Baptist High School in Roxborough, where he played football and basketball.

During World War II, he served in the Navy in Norfolk, Va., and refereed Navy basketball games.

After his discharge, he was a salesman and then a sales manager for trucking companies before becoming a bar owner. He also pursued a career as a basketball official for 30 years, officiating at Baker League basketball games and numerous high school and college games.

In his younger years, he also refereed Catholic Youth Organization games, where a player gave him the nickname "Big Daddy."

Mr. Murphy was former chairman of the Catholic League High School Officials, who rated him the No. 1 basketball officiator for 10 years. After retiring in 1972 from active officiating, he spent hours preparing young people for the officiators' test, his family said.

When he was younger, Mr. Murphy played and coached football and basketball for the Wissahickon Hawks Athletic Association in Roxborough. An avid golfer, he organized tournaments to benefit the club.

He was inducted into the 21st Ward Hall of Fame in Philadelphia in 1985 and was honored by the Philadelphia Basketball Old-Timers in 1996.

Mr. Murphy enjoyed spending time with his family at their vacation home in Ocean City, N.J.

In addition to his daughter Joanne, Mr. Murphy is survived by his wife of 58 years, Joan Ellison Murphy; daughters Kathleen Allen, Mary Jane Przydzial, and Elizabeth Brown; a brother; two sisters; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Friends may call from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 23, and from 9 a.m. followed by a Funeral Mass at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 24, at St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church, 146 Rector St., Philadelphia 19127. Donations may be made to the church.