Rex Murphy was a national treasure—a craftsman of the English language who blended equal parts contrarianism, witticism, and Newfoundland homespun common sense, becoming a voice the country grew to cherish. Above all, he was a great Canadian.
On Tuesday, I read Murphy’s last column where he masterfully eviscerated the Canadian government’s lack of leadership in dealing with the conflict in the Middle East since the massacre of Oct. 7. I didn’t know it would be his last column. It says so much about the character of Rex Murphy that he literally spent his dying days crafting and sharing his thoughts to steer Canada in a better direction. He did it superbly as usual, and better than most of us could hope to write while in the best of health.
Rex Murphy was genuinely passionate about his work. That’s what made him different from so many others. He loved every moment of what he did, and he had an authentic sense of curiosity and thirst for knowledge. Along with his intellect and incredible vocabulary, Murphy also came off as a relatable fellow man. His readers and audiences could sense he was one of them, which is rare with a Rhodes Scholar. You knew Murphy was at a level of brilliance well beyond you, yet it never felt as if he was speaking down to you. (Though his wit could be cutting if you were the target of his ire as he spoke or wrote.)
For much of my younger working life I worked in the oilfield, usually in remote locations as a surveyor. Often, CBC Radio would be the only station I could get, and while much of the content from the national broadcaster was unlistenable, I would always look forward to listening to Rex Murphy’s weekly show “Cross Country Checkup.” Ironically, you wouldn’t get much of Murphy’s opinion during the shows. His focus was always on questioning the guests of the week and letting the many people phoning into the show say their piece. He wanted to understand others and you could feel how he enjoyed listening to all their different viewpoints, even if he may not have agreed with many of them. He always wanted everyone to have the chance to say their piece without interruption.
Any career can become a grind over time. It can be difficult to remain passionate or engaged after doing the same thing for decades. Rex Murphy appeared to love his platform and career as much at the end as he did when he began in media at the start of the 1970s. He was a man who loved his job, and that zeal made him all the easier to listen to and read.
Murphy had a great sense of humour, though it could be acerbic if you were in his crosshairs. He didn’t have much time for foolishness and would call it out in the harshest terms when he saw it.
While Murphy’s political leanings were toward conservatism, he couldn’t be called a partisan. He was as quick to critique the actions of a conservative politician as any progressive one. He was independent of mind and nobody could accuse him of being beholden to any party or politician.
It’s hard to envision another character or personality emerging in the future who will make such as much of a mark as Rex Murphy did. The media world has changed. There just isn’t the opportunity for a person to climb the ranks in public life over decades as Murphy did. He is among the last of his kind and generation, which makes his passing all the sadder. True inspirational icons are so rare.
Canada was blessed to have had Rex inform, entertain, and even enrage people at times over the course of his long career. He influenced the nation in his way, and always with the country’s best interests at heart.
Rest in peace, Mr. Murphy. You have earned it. And thank you for sharing so much with us all for so long.
