Mikell L. (Murphy) Murphy

Mikell Lilliebjerg Murphy passed away peacefully on May 7, 2025, at her home just before her 88th birthday. A loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, she battled neuropathy for over a decade which reduced her to almost complete immobility, but the disease never took her spirit, optimistic attitude, or sense of humor.

Born May 19, 1937, in Alice, Texas to Henry and Burnice Murphy, Mikell was the oldest of four children. She almost did not make it to her 1st birthday due to a rare rH blood disorder, but a complete blood transfusion donated from her Uncle Don saved her life and showed her fighting spirit. Mikell grew up in Fort Worth, Texas and graduated from Arlington Heights High School. She attended Texas Woman University where she was student body president, competed in synchronized swimming and field hockey, and was a leader in many organizations. She graduated in 1959 with her degree in elementary education and shocked her family when she decided to move to the newly minted state of Alaska to take a 5th grade teaching position in Anchorage. There she met her first husband, Jorgen Lilliebjerg, and married in January 1960. Life in the Last Frontier was exciting - a land of snowy dirt roads, wild animals around, beautiful mountains, and surviving the Great Alaska Earthquake in ’64. Mikell loved the adventure! But the adventure of motherhood was her favorite as she left teaching behind and became a mother of three.

Raising her family on the hillside of Anchorage, Mikell’s creativity and high energy led her to provide her family with many valuable life experiences. She started her own home preschool for the neighborhood children, taught her children to read, designed and built their playhouse, raised chickens to feed the family, took them berry picking to make jams and wine (for her!), and grew her own garden. She took her kids on backpacking hikes on the Resurrection, Crescent Creek, and Chilkoot Trails – all without their father who often had to work. She began working with Head Start/Easter Seals in early intervention education and traveled into the remote bush areas of Alaska to support families and their children. She took her family to Denmark, England, Australia, New Zealand, Texas, Hawaii, Washington, D.C., Disneyland, and many other states in between because she wanted her children to experience the world outside the great state of Alaska and spend time with family all over the world.

After earning her master’s in special education from Alaska Pacific University, she then had the great joy of raising three teenagers as a single mom. She taught special ed classes at the Jesse Lee Home and Service High School. She earned her Doctorate in Education from USC and eventually was made the department head of special education at Service High School. She always encouraged her children to go to college out of state to see what the “lower 48” was like to live in. So all three ventured off to out of state universities, earning their degrees, but never returning to Alaska.

She met Dave Comins in 1985 and together, they traveled the world and enjoyed sailing in Alaska and the Caribbean, kayaking in Prince William Sound, and building their cabin at Long Lake near Willow. Traveling to see their children and welcome the grandchildren into the world was Mikell’s greatest joy. She was a hands-on grandma who took the grandkids exploring, made them their own personal picture books each birthday, and always let them know how proud she was of them and their accomplishments. Dave and Mikell moved to Kerrville, Texas in 2000 as snowbirds and hopped back and forth between there and Anchorage for 20 years, while continuing to travel the country and world. Mikell was very active in numerous groups in Kerrville with her water coloring classes, writing circle, and current world affairs group.

Mikell was an avid reader and writer, publishing her own memoir “Pieces of Me,” full of entertaining short stories of her life. As neuropathy slowly attacked her body, making her weaker and limiting her mobility, Mikell never let it take her spirit. She fought the nerve damage with a ferocity and drive she is known for – seeking physical therapy and treatment to reduce the pain. Despite how much neuropathy ravaged her body,

Mikell never complained and always saw the sunshine through the clouds up until the end. She exhausted herself every day determined to stand, be independent and move as much as possible. Neuropathy finally won and Mikell passed away on the evening of May 7.

Mikell leaves behind her husband Dave Comins, her children Erik Lilliebjerg (wifeLaura). Anne-Lise Botting Lilliebjerg, and Kristin Bailey (husband Mike), grandchildren Brendan Bailey (wife Claire), Jack Botting, Mary-Mikell Botting (husband David), Hannah Bailey, Riis Lilliebjerg, Molly Botting, and Teagan Lilliebjerg, plus great- grandchildren Piper and Archer Bailey.

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