Burbank has lost a true legend. Linda Murphy, a lifelong Burbank resident, athlete and educator has died, her family confirmed. She was 82.
A pioneer in the women’s sports movement in the community, the John Burroughs High grad was also an Olympian and a longtime Burbank Unified teacher.
Murphy was part of the first youth softball team in the city in the 1950s., She went on to become a part of the first United States Olympic Women’s Volleyball Team in 1964.She won a silver medal as part of the U.S. team that finished runner-up in the 1967 World Championships. She won a silver medal in the 1963 Pan American Games and a gold medal in the 1967 Pan American Games.
She also played for the Los Angeles Volleyball Club and the Long Beach Shamrocks. The Shamrocks won eight national titles between 1962 and 1970. In 1971, she received the USA Volleyball All-Time Great Player award. Decades later she became the committee chair for the award.
Murphy was also a teacher at John Muir Middle School and coached the Burroughs girls’ volleyball team from 1984 to 2002.
“Linda was a daughter of Burbank, born and raised in the city she loved,” her nephew Nicholas Partida said. “Though her talents carried her to the world stage as an Olympian in the 1964 Olympics for women’s volleyball, her heart always brought her home. She lived with a moral compass that surpassed most, leading with integrity, strength, and quiet conviction. She believed in discipline, in kindness, in doing the right thing – even when it was hard. Her impact echoes through generations of students, athletes, family members and friends.”
Longtime Burroughs girls’ volleyball coach Edwin Real, who was Murphy’s assistant prior to becoming the head coach, shared thoughts of her.
“A big loss in the Burroughs family. She set the competitive tone for Burroughs volleyball in the 1980s while competing in the Foothill League that still exists today. The character building and teamwork she instilled in her players will live on forever.” “For me personally, she was a great teacher, mentor and friend. Her permanent motto, TOGETHER, still exists in many gyms around the world. She is a true legend.”
Murphy was honored by the Burbank City Council in 2023 as part of Women’s History Month.
As the coach at Burroughs, the then-Indians had a 177-152 record and an 85-93 mark in the Foothill League. Her teams won league titles in 1986 and 1994 and reached the CIF Southern Section playoff quarterfinals in 1986 and 1987, posting a combined 32-8 record during the two seasons.
Five of her players earned All-CIF honors.
Gina Punaro, who played for Murphy, recalled memories of her coach.
“I will be forever grateful to Ms. Murphy for seeing past what many would consider a disadvantage. She always believed in my athletic abilities and never once made me feel like I was too short to be on the court, even playing me at outside hitter and middle blocker at 5-foot-2,” Punaro said. ” Because of her belief in me, I never felt anything was odd about standing across the net staring up at a 6-2 middle blocker from Canyon High School. Her trust in me is what gave me the confidence to go out and compete each and every time on the court.”
A Celebration of Life will be held at the Burroughs Main Gym on March 21 at 2 p.m. Casual attire is requested.
(Rick Assad contributed to this story).
