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Obituary: James W. Murphy / Co-founder of steel company
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James W. Murphy began his career in the steel industry in the mailroom of the Allegheny Ludlum plant in Brackenridge. He ended it after co-founding a steel company of his own.
Mr. Murphy, known as Jim, died Saturday at age 87.
A native of West Deer, he served in the Army Air Forces during World War II.
In his years with Allegheny Ludlum, he rose from the mailroom to vice president of sales.
In 1976, he and about 20 other employees bought Allegheny Ludlum's bar products division and formed a new company called AlTech Specialty Steel Corp. The company was headquartered in Dunkirk, N.Y., and Mr. Murphy would spend weekdays in New York and weekends at home in Oakmont with his family.
After he retired in the early 1980s, he played golf and served on numerous committees at Oakmont Country Club.
"He had a knack for putting everybody around him at ease," said his son, James W. Murphy Jr., also of Oakmont. "He was extremely personable."
In addition to his son, survivors are his daughter, Barbara M. Osborn of Oakmont, and five grandchildren.
The family will hold visitation from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. today at English-Bertucci Funeral Home in Oakmont. The funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. tomorrow at St. Irenaeus Church in Oakmont, where Mr. Murphy was a longtime member.
The family requests memorial contributions to the church.
First Published May 3, 2006 12:00 am
