J. Martin Wolman

J. Martin ""Murphy"" Wolman died Saturday in Boulder Colorado on the 66th anniversary of his wedding to Anne Paley Wolman. Anne died in 2004, and Murphy moved to Colorado a year later to be with his four children.

Murphy spent his entire professional career as a newspaperman at the Wisconsin State Journal, beginning in 1932 as a newsboy and retiring as publisher in 1985 at age 65.

Office lore has it that Murphy was originally paid out of petty cash, and that no one has ever owned up to actually hiring him. When he returned from military service, he joined the business staff, later becoming general manager, and then publisher.

He become involved with the Journal's Empty Stocking even before he was put on the payroll, and remained dedicated to it throughout his years in Madison. Earlier this summer, he told his daughter he had been dreaming of the Empty Stocking Club, but not of work.

After the death of their eldest daughter Jane in 1967, Anne and Murphy founded Youth Services Incorporated, which now runs the Empty Stocking Club. In recent years, Murphy made a donation to Youth Services, which was used to create a special fund to benefit poor schoolchildren in Southern Wisconsin.

Among his many other community involvements, he was especially fond of Vilas Park Zoo, and Edgewood College.

Murphy is survived by his children Nicky Wolman, Ruth Henderson, and Lewis Wolman, all of Boulder, Colorado; Jon Wolman of Detroit; and their spouses.

He was a grandfather of 10, and great-grandfather of 7. He is also survived by his sister Esther Kaplan, sisters-in-law Ida Haaker and Estelle Wolman, brother-in-law Meril Stein, and numerous nieces and nephews. All will remember him as the ""go to"" guy in the family for help or advice.

Services will be at 10:00 am on Wednesday, September 16, 2009 at Temple Beth El, 2702 Arbor Drive.

Donations can be made to: The Jane Wolman Memorial Youth Fund c/o Beth El Temple, 2702 Arbor Dr. Madison, WI 53711 or the ""Murph and Anne Wolman Fund for Children"" c/o the Madison Community Foundation, 2 Science Court, Madison, WI 53711-1088.