I have been asked to put this on the site by a few of micks closest friends and family.I am honoured to be doing this on behalf of B.H.B.C, its very hard to do as mick was a great friend of mine and i’m sure a great friend to many others out there.First of all my condolences to micks family, his mum linda, his brothers Andy,Jeff,Graham,and Kieth, his daughters April andAngie and laurel his wife of many years also to luke aprils partner who has become a part of the Murphy family and also to micks many friends and relatives. Mick will be sadly missed by the club members past and present included and by all of the burleigh community. Well it’s another sad day that we all meet again at our beloved point, hopefully one day soon we all meet her for a happy occasion, it would be a nice change. Mick was agreat bloke, he would do anything for you, he loved his daughters and his family more than anything in the world. He loved surfing, going away camping and having fun. I remember when the girls were young he and laurel would load up the four wheel drive hit he road and go camping and surfing. To see him surfing with April and Ange back then was beautiful, he was so proud and happy to be surfing with his daughters. Mick also liked the odd drinkhis favourite was bundy rum. he was alife member of burleigh boardriders, mick was a proud club member and will always be remembered for his tireless work for the club, he did a lot for the club back when norm and myself had had enough of running the club.Mick stepped in and got the club going again and he mainly did it for the juniors and the club grew very strong in that division with the likes of bots, josh stewart and james watson and heaps of other groms, he more or less stopped the club from folding, so we all owe Mick a hell of a lotbecause without him we may not have a club now. he was a tireless at the single fin comp which he also ressurected after we had a fun one in 1994, he loved that compand i’m so glad he kept it going we rteally owe Mick a lot as the single fin has helped the club heaps in the last ten years or so. he used to love going to the straddie comp organising a house for us and making sure we all had fun and also keeping the team focused on the job at hand. Mick is a true blue Burleigh boy having grown up here with his family, Mick had a great affinity with the burleigh barrel, when i was young i used to love watching him and his brothers carving up the point on the old single fins Mick had that unique burleigh style he was agreat tube rider and i will miss his surfing heaps. Mick was great to go away with as most of our club members will know, on a lot of our straddie trips he would drink all night be the last one to bed and the first one up in the morning, that is if he slept at all, to get the troops ready for battle in the comp, he would cook the barbie, look after the boys all with a big smile on his face and at the end of the weekend he would be the last one ther cleaning the house to ensure we could stay there the next year. As i said he was an unselfish worker and did it all for the club mainly for the jnrs. who can forget his marathon ping pong tournaments at the straddie house or whenever he had a party, he loved ping pong, fuelled on bundy rum he would play all night till the sun came up, he was unstoppable. Many a great time was had with Mick at straddie and station creek, i’m sure we all have some great stories of Mick’s adventures. Mick also helped a lot of the local guys employing them at his electrical business, he helped whoever he coild thats just how he was, i have always had a lot of respect for Mick and his family as they have been in burleigh a long time, as surfers we respect our elder tribesman mick earnt a lot of respect as an elder of our burleigh tribe, so next time you catch a wave out the point think of Mick and all the other members of our tribe who have passed away. In finishing i have a little saying i read a long time ago its how i try to live it goes like this.
Man has but three major events in his life to be born, to live and to die he is not concious of his birth he suffers at his death and he forgets to live wake up and live have fun go surfing don’t work your life enjoy it more because you know what YOUR A LONG TIME DEAD. god bless you Mick may your spirit be with us forever in the waves till we meet again long may you run forever young. see ya next time in dwaynes world take it easy.