Mary Layne (“M’Layne”) Murphy 

June 11, 1937 – November 22, 2024

Mary Layne Murphy, known to her friends and family as M’Layne, lived a life that was as colorful and unique as the art, music, and food she loved so deeply. Born in Vernon, Texas, to Sibyl and Bill Wallace, she transformed her small-town beginnings into a vibrant life filled with resilience, adventure, and meaningful connections.

M’Layne was a survivor from the start, overcoming childhood polio with care from Scottish Rite for Children Hospital in Dallas. Her strength and determination became hallmarks of her character. With an unquenchable curiosity and sense of adventure, she left Vernon after high school to seek inspiration and study at the prestigious Traphagen School of Fashion in New York City. There, she explored jazz clubs, mingled with musicians and artists, and cultivated her lifelong passion for art, design, and books.

Returning to Texas, M’Layne’s talents took her to Wichita Falls, where she became the fashion and society editor of the Times Record News, opened a beatnik coffee house, and even hosted music legend Ray Charles. She later moved to Dallas, embarking on an illustrious career in advertising. Rising through the ranks, she became a partner at Brough, Benton, and Wallace, and later owned Wallace Advertising.

It was in Dallas that she met her soulmate, Terence Murphy. Together, they built a life of love and fun, hosting fabulous dinner and cocktail parties that friends still rave about to this day. They also became parents to a son and daughter, and after Terry’s passing, M’Layne continued to be a dedicated and loving single mother. She was proud of all she achieved in her career, but her role as a mother was her favorite.

M’Layne’s entrepreneurial spirit, plus her love of food and travel, led her to write and self-publish one cookbook celebrating historic Virginia inns, and a second one highlighting inns in North Carolina.  She served as the marketing director for Shearer Publishing projects and was instrumental in producing atlases, The Roads of Texas and The Roads of North Carolina, among many other projects.  Following her time with Shearer, she took over the reins as the marketing director for Phillips Productions, the parent company of notable television productions including Texas Country Reporter and Texans.

After later retiring from the Dallas Theater Center, M’Layne rekindled her love for creating art and began painting again, something she pursued until her last days.  She was a voracious reader too and delighted in trading books with her children and friends. She also found that she had a remarkable talent for uncovering the threads of her family’s history and became an avid genealogist. She would spend countless hours sleuthing online, piecing together generations of her ancestry with meticulous care and excitement. Her enthusiasm for storytelling extended to the tales of those who came before her, and her dedication to preserving her family’s history was a testament to her deep curiosity and love for those who shaped her world.

M’Layne’s final decade in Portland, Oregon, brought her closer to her daughter Meaghen. During that time, they enjoyed dining out in Portland and traveling together throughout the Pacific Northwest. In 2015 she became a bonus grandmother to Meaghen’s stepdaughter Ohio. M’Layne loved Ohio dearly and always said “She gives the best hugs”.

Known affectionately as “Jazzy” to her grandson James in Dallas, Texas, M’Layne considered him her pride and joy. She cherished their calls, videos, and FaceTime conversations, and she proudly displayed his artwork on her walls.

M’Layne is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Terence Murphy, whose memory she held close after his passing in 1981. She is survived by her son Andrew Murphy and his wife Melanie and grandson James in Dallas, Texas; and her daughter, Meaghen Murphy and bonus granddaughter Ohio Petersen in Portland, Oregon.

M’Layne’s legacy is one of warmth, creativity, humor, and an unshakable belief in the beauty of life. She will be remembered for her remarkable resilience, her devotion to her children, her epic dinner parties, and her ability to form meaningful relationships with everyone she met.

Her family invites those who knew her to celebrate her extraordinary life and cherish the memories she created. In honor of M’Layne, share a meal with someone you love, listen to some jazz, read a good book, admire a beautiful piece of art, or tell a great story—just as she would have done.

M’Layne will be laid to rest beside her husband, Terry, at Calvary Hill Cemetery in Dallas, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, her family welcomes donations to the Scottish Rite for Children Hospital through this link. https://bit.ly/MlaynesMemorial