SGT Charles “Murphy” Wells, 31, of Overland Park, KS died Wednesday, February 13th. He was born in Kansas City, Kansas, the son of Diana E Braun and Lawrence G Wells and older brother to sister Elizabeth A Wells. Murphy was preceded in death by his maternal and paternal grandparents, several cousins, and fellow veterans. He is survived by his wife, Gretchen Wells; sister, Elizabeth Wells; mother, Diana Braun of DeSoto, KS; his father, Larry Wells and wife, Beverly of Merriam, KS; and many other family members and friends.
Murphy was raised on 3 acres in Lenexa, KS where he enjoyed his childhood playing on a multitude of homemade creations of his father and grandfather’s own design, his favorites being his sand digger, the astronaut swing, zip-line, and the go-karts. He was a swim instructor and a part of Jr ROTC in high school before he graduated from Shawnee Mission West in 2005. Murphy graduated from the University of Kansas in 2009, as a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, with a Bachelor’s degree in psychology and later with 2 additional Associate’s degrees from Johnson County Community College. After graduation, he completed the prerequisite classes necessary to apply for medical school with the intention of becoming a physician, researching Alzheimer’s disease. Meanwhile, he tutored others on how to take the MCAT.
He did not realize this dream, as life changed for him after a tour of active duty in Afghanistan in 2012. He returned home to continue serving as an army reservist out of Hutchinson, KS within the 323 engineering detachment. At the same time, he worked independently as a contractor, remodeling homes. Most recently, he had been working as a journeyman bench jeweler, designing and creating fine jewelry with his father, Larry.
When he wasn’t studying at Hogwarts or journeying through Mordor, Murphy put his knowledge of sand volleyball - granted to him by his countless hours spent inciting pickup games while serving overseas – to good use, playing multiple times a week in his sand volleyball league. He could also be found skydiving with his good friend from the Kansas State University Parachuting Club, Artur, and volunteered for multiple organizations including Habitat for Humanity, several animal shelters, and was a refugee mentor for the Jewish Vocational Service. Murphy leaves behind his beloved dogs, Linus and Truffle, who were always excited to go on a ride to the dog park with their dad. McDonald’s and ice cream companies everywhere may suffer significant financial loss without Murphy’s ritualistic purchases of mint chocolate chip ice cream and McDoubles. Child-like appetite aside, Murphy was a brilliant man with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and sought it out wherever he could find it. His family and friends describe him as a man, fascinated by all things mechanical, electric, or having anything to do with math, science, or physics. Murphy, like his grandfather, Charlie, liked to take any electronic and mechanical devices apart, explain in detail how they worked, and proceed to put them back together. His sarcastic sense of humor and playfulness made this information easily accessible to whomever wanted to learn, proving him a wonderful teacher.
Murphy was loyal, self-sacrificing, and intelligent: a beautiful soul. The void created by his departure is, both now and forever, unending and immeasurable. To say that he will be deeply missed by his family and friends is a profound understatement.
Services will be held Thursday, February 21st at the following locations and times: Please arrive by 915 am.
• Tribute: 0930-1030 @ Holy Trinity Catholic Church: 13615 W 92nd St, Lenexa, KS 66215
• Mass: 1030-1130 @ Holy Trinity Catholic Church
• Burial: 1230 @ Fort Leavenworth
• Lunch Celebration of Life: 1400 @ Tanners: 22374 W 66th St, Shawnee, KS 66226
For those interested in speaking during the tribute, the family requests that speakers arrive to Holy Trinity around 0915 and to have your speech written down to ensure that all parties interested in speaking have an opportunity to do so. We encourage any and all friends and family to please participate. In lieu of flower donations, the family requests that memorial donations are sent to KCUR public radio station, where Murphy was a monthly donor, or to the Great Plains SPCA. Please send any and all photos that you would like to share to Murphy’s sister, Elizabeth, or his wife, Gretchen at the following email addresses: elizabeth.wells11@gmail.com or gea1031@gmail.com
For those friends and family coming from out of town needing a place to stay, the Holiday Inn on I-435 and Nall Ave is offering a discounted nightly rate. If interested, please call Kelly at 913-312-5991 ext. 2 and mention the Murphy Wells Memorial.