Gerald E. “Gerry” Murphy, K8YUW, passed away on February 25, 2025. He was 88 years old, and the founder of the Hurricane Watch Net (HWN). 

According to a statement released by current HWN manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, Murphy, then 28 years old, was stationed at the U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Center in Davisville, Rhode Island, in 1965. During his time off, he handled countless phone patches and messages to and from military-deployed personnel as a member of the Intercontinental Amateur Radio Net (IARN) on 14.320 MHz. 

On Labor Day Weekend that year, Hurricane Betsy was moving through the Bahamas, and many people were asking about this storm. Back then, hurricane forecasting was still in its infancy and the public didn’t have access to 24-hour news and weather. “There was so much interest in what the storm was doing that it created a major disruption in IARN activities,” said Graves. “Murphy suggested to the Net Manager to move those interested in the storm up 5 kHz to get them off the net, and the Net Manager agreed. Marcy Rice, KZ5MM, located in the Canal Zone (Panama), followed Murphy, and together they established the first Hurricane Watch Net on 14.325 MHz.”

Graves issued a personal message on Murphy’s passing: “Gerry, thank you for creating this great organization. Your vision, care, and compassion, without a doubt, have helped many before, during, and after these dangerous tropical cyclone events. I am thrilled your legacy of the HWN lives on! Rest in peace, my friend.”

ARRL Great Lakes Division Director Scott Yonally, N8SY, has known Murphy for decades. 

“Murphy was a long-time resident of Lakewood, Ohio, and I’ve known him for almost as long as I’ve been a ham. He was always a talented guy with a strong military background that made you feel just like you had enlisted into the Marines,” said Yonally. “But, in most cases he was just looking out for you and amateur radio. The Northeast Ohio SKYWARN® program was born directly to the work that he did, and as a testament to the devotion that he gave to it, still shows strongly in that the Northeastern Ohio SKYWARN program is still going on today.”

Murphy managed the Hurricane Watch Net until February 1988, and continued to serve as Assistant Net Manager until he retired in March 1991. You can read his full obituary at www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/37994045/gerald-e.-"gerry"-murphy.