Public memorial service for Gary Murphy scheduled for Saturday

This billboard, featuring a photograph of the late Garrison "Gary" Lee Murphy, was installed on Friday near the Ellis Tanner Trading Company. A public memorial service is being planned for Murphy. [Courtesy Image]

By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Staff Writer

GALLUP — Community members will have the opportunity to say goodbye to Garrison "Gary" Lee Murphy during an upcoming memorial service.

Murphy was the local man who was the subject of a series of "Gallup Angel Photographs," a documentary film, and billboards, all of which were produced by Margo Manaraze-Wagner, a photographer who befriended Murphy several years ago.

Murphy suffered from severe physical, mental, and emotional disabilities related to being born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Through his friendship with Manaraze-Wagner, Murphy began trying to raise public awareness about FAS, a serious birth defect that is completely preventable if women just abstain from drinking alcohol while pregnant. The documentary film, "Gary and the Angels," and two billboards on the outskirts of Gallup were part of Murphy and Manaraze-Wagner's public awareness efforts.

Murphy died on Feb. 12 from injuries he sustained after being hit by a vehicle on Feb. 6. According to Gallup Police, Murphy attempted to cross U.S. 491 against a red light during rush hour traffic.

A private, family funeral took place on Feb. 19.

Community members are invited to attend a public memorial service that will be at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 10 at El Morro Theatre, 207 W. Coal Ave.

On Friday, a billboard featuring information about Murphy's memorial service was installed near the Ellis Tanner Trading Company. The billboard features a large photo of Murphy and a quote "We need to love one another" that Murphy said to the audience at the conclusion of the screening of "Gary and the Angels" when it premiered at El Morro Theatre.

According to Manaraze-Wagner, the memorial service is being organized by Zonnie Gorman, the president of Extol, a charitable foundation that Manaraze-Wagner established to promote FAS awareness. A number of individuals who knew Murphy are scheduled to speak, she said, and choir members from the Rehoboth community will provide music for the service. Two videotaped public service announcements that Murphy recently recorded will also be shown. Community members will then be invited to share their memories of Murphy during an open mic period.

After the service, "Gary and the Angels" will be shown to anyone who would like to stay and view the film. The documentary is a "warts and all" portrait of Murphy, whose behavior in the film swings from childlike sweetness to goof-ball silliness to explosive anger.

Although Murphy encouraged women not to drink while pregnant, he struggled all his adult life with his own alcohol abuse. Manaraze-Wagner admits that she also struggled in her attempts to help Murphy cope with his many FAS-related problems, including his alcohol abuse. She didn't have professional expertise, she said, but she always tried to make sure Murphy was warm, that he had food, and that he knew he had her friendship and love.

Manaraze-Wagner believes that through the efforts of many people who reached out to Murphy during the last years of his life, Murphy was becoming a much more happy and sociable person and was learning to trust people more.

"I always knew Gary's life was too hard to live too long," she said. "But it's still shocking."

"I miss him," she added. "I can't believe how much I miss him."

For more information about Murphy's memorial service or about the Extol Charitable Foundation's FAS public awareness campaign, contact Manaraze-Wagner at margo@extolcf.org.