She'll Be Missed

Wednesday after I picked Alex up from kindergarten, fed the boys lunch, read with Alex for 20 minutes, and finally put Adam down for his nap I realized I had a message on the phone waiting for me. It was from my mom.  She just asked me to call her back, but her message didn't sound bright and cheery so I was worried. I immediately tried to call her at home but didn't get an answer. I finally got in touch with her once it dawned on me to call her cellphone.

Unfortunately, it was bad news. One of my good friends from home passed away Tuesday afternoon. It was completely unexpected. I think it honestly took me a full day or so before it really processed in my head.

I knew Tia for most of my growing up years, but I didn't know her very well. She was a year behind me in school so we never had classes together or anything. I do remember the double date we had to Prom my junior year though. We had a good time. We weren't in love with either of the boys so it was just a fun time with friends.

I got to know Tia better when we went to college together at Adams State College. Most of my friends from high school had gone to college somewhere else, gotten  married, moved away, etc. Tia became my closest friend. We had a blast going to church activities together and just hanging out with the rest of our circle of friends. I'm sure we gave our parents a few gray hairs that year and a half or so. Seeing as how we were over 18 during that time we saw no reason for a curfew or even alerting our parents to where we were late at night. We never did anything dangerous or stupid. We never broke the law. We never got drunk, did drugs, etc. We were just enjoying life. Now as a parent I realize why our parents at least wanted to know where we were...

I left to serve a mission after a while and then before I got back she left on hers. After my mission I transferred to BYU. Since then we've rarely lived in the same city at the same time except for a brief few months when I was finishing up at BYU and she came out there as well. Then I graduated and moved to Denver and I've been here ever since while she has remained in various areas of Utah. We haven't been able to stay in touch as well as I might have liked, but she's someone you can't help thinking about often. She was an important part of my life and was a wonderful person.

I stole her obituary from someone else's blog because I'd never see it here in  Denver. (Thanks, Ammy.) Whoever wrote it did an excellent job at capturing Tia, better than my feeble attempts could do it.

Tia will be missed by many here, though I'm sure she's still hard at work making others happy on the other side...

Tia Lee King Murtaugh, 35

Posted: Friday, Jan 28th, 2011


HERRIMAN, Utah — Tia Lee King Murtaugh, 35, passed away unexpectedly in her home on January 25, 2011. She was born April 22, 1975, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

She married Michael Matthew Murtaugh on June 26, 2010. They were extremely happy and excited about their new life together.

Tia was a very compassionate and loving person who often thought of others needs before her own. Hard work never intimidated her and she tackled every task whole-heartedly. Tia loved being with her family and enjoyed spending time outdoor in the mountains. Some of her hobbies included camping, 4-wheeling, going to the beach, spending time in California with the family of her husband, and learning and trying new things.

Tia had a great love for children, especially her nieces and nephews. She volunteered time working in elementary classrooms in high school and throughout college.

Tia graduated from Centauri High School in 1993. She continued her education at Adams State College, earned a degree in marketing, and worked as an operations manager at Home Depot. Tia had recently finished her student teaching at North Point Elementary as one of the last phases in completing her Master’s Degree in Education.

Tia was a dedicated member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in many callings. She loved the Gospel of Jesus Christ and served in the Alabama Birmingham Mission.

Tia is survived by her husband Mike of Herriman, Utah; her parents Gregory and Terri King of Manassa, Colo., in-laws Rick and Kathy Nelson of Westminister, Calif.; grandparents Harley and Janice Gilleland of Manassa, Colo., Coreda Adams of Santa Ana, Calif., James Murtaugh of Mesa, Ariz., and Mary Nelson of Huntington Beach, Calif.; siblings April (Patrick) Galan of Lehi, Utah, Kile (Nate) Carling of Lehi, Utah, Keith (Jamie) King of Manassa, Colo., Ashley (Andrew) Gray of Orem, Utah, Jordan (Kella) King of Hereford, Texas, Bryce (Brooke) King of Orem, Utah, Elder Tate King Philippines Olongapo Mission, Mike’s sister, Michelle (Brett) Beale of Corona, Calif., and numerous other relatives She was preceded in death by her grandparents Horace and Lavern King.

A viewing will be held on Monday, January 31, 2011, at the Manassa LDS Church beginning at 5 p.m. and again on Tuesday, February 1, 2011, from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, February 1, 2011, at the Manassa LDS Church beginning at 11 a.m. Interment will be at Manassa Cemetery.