Lori Murphy was born in Canton, Illinois, and graduated from Cuba High School in 1979. She earned an Administrative Assistant Certificate from Spoon River College in 2006. Over the years, Lori built a diverse and dedicated career—working at Four Seasons as both a waitress and in the kitchen, in the dietary department at Graham Hospital, and ultimately at Spoon River College, where she spent the last 35 years before retiring in June 2024.
At SRC, Lori held a variety of roles, beginning as a student worker in the cafeteria. She has worked in the recruiting office and in the marketing and small business departments, and spent many years with the SRC Foundation and Community Outreach. Each position provided valuable life lessons that she carried into the next.
Lori loved working at Spoon River College because of its positive culture, great benefits, and the lifelong friendships she formed. She also took pride in helping all three of her children attend SRC.
Lori is a member of the Canton Elks Lodge No. 626 and Royal Neighbors of America. She was married to the late Everett Murphy for 38 years, and together they raised three children—Brandon, Whitney, and Shaun. She is also a proud grandmother to Carter and Gwen.
