State Says An An Official Goodbye To Former Speaker Tom Murphy

Posting History:
4th Update: 4:25 p.m. adds that funeral procession has left the Capitol.
3rd Ypdate: 1:21 p.m. adds photo
2nd Update: 10:52 a.m.
1st Update 10:28 a.m.

With Photo Below

By Dick Pettys
InsiderAdvantage Georgia

(12/21/07) To the quavering notes of "Going Home" from a lone bagpiper, the body of former House Speaker Tom Murphy was carried out of the state Capitol for the last time Friday on a chill, overcast afternoon, heading home to Bremen with a state patrol escort after a day of services that brought the great from four decades to pay him homage.

The services began hours earlier as Murphy was brought one last time Friday to the House chamber he loved so well as a galaxy of Georgia’s great from across four decades gathered to pay him tribute.

In keeping with House tradition for escorting those it honors into the chamber, an honor guard was formed to escort the flag-draped casket into the chamber. It included past and present House members, Democrat as well as Republican, black and white, rural and urban: Calvin Smyre, Larry Walker, Bill Lee, DuBose Porter, David Lucas, Tom Buck, Jerry Keen, Mark Burkhalter, Bob Holmes, Matt Towery, Bob Hanner, Georganna Sinkfield.

Wreaths were hung beside the exterior doors as lawmakers entered the chamber, and sprays stood on either side of the podium where Murphy stood for so long. A black ribbon hung over the presiding officer's empty chair - a position left vacant by a joint decision of current Speaker Glenn Richardson and former Speaker Terry Coleman for the chair not to be occupied "while Speaker Murphy was present."

Richardson gave the first eulogy, calling Murphy "larger than life, a political icon, a legend, one of a kind." He concluded,: "Mr. Speaker, you done good."

Coleman, his voice cracking at times, said, "This man ... has come to define and epitomize the word, 'Mister Speaker.'"

After what was believed to be a first-ever memorial service in the House chamber, the body next was taken by white-gloved state troopers in full dress uniform lie in state in the Rotunda.

Arranged near the bier was a portrait of the former Speaker and a table holding his trademark white Stetson, an unlit cigar and the gavel and heavily-dimpled pounding board he used during the 2001-2002 session, his last.

As lawmakers slowly filed by the casket, many extended their hands to touch it and give the fallen legend a last pat goodbye.

Early arrivals spotted in the crowd included former Govs. Carl Sanders, Zell Miller, Joe Frank Harris and Roy Barnes, U.S. Sens. Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss, Former U.S. Sen. (and former state Rep.) Sam Nunn, Congressmen Lynn Westmoreland, Tom Price, John Linder and David Scott, and two people who represented bookends of Murphy’s power: Elliott Levitas, who served in the early 1970s, and his son, Kevin Levitas, a recently-elected member of the House.

Westmoreland, a Republican, was among the many talking about the former Speaker as lawmakers gathered. “I loved the guy. I really did,” he said. Many in the Capitol this day - in or out of office - agreed.

(Photo Below Courtesy Of Senate Press Office)