Felix 'Phil' Murphy: Felix Philip Murphy, former “skip” of the 35th Oxford Scout Group, Blackbird Leys, has died at the age of 82 after a battle with cancer.

Known as Phil, the father-of-four from Blackbird Leys devoted his life to his family and the Scouting movement.

He was born in Enniscorthy, Ireland, and married Joan Rogers in the Republic before the couple moved to Oxford in 1956 to find work.

After settling in Kent Close, Blackbird Leys, Mr Murphy was employed as a bus conductor, working on the route from the estate to the city centre. His daughter Dorian Hunter said: “The terminus used to be in our close and the bus drivers used to come in to our house for breakfast. We all remember that.”

In later years he went on to work for Scroggs Dairy and as a driver at the Rover Factory before early retirement.

But it was for his work with generations of scouts in the Blackbird Leys community that he was best known.

Mrs Hunter said: “After the scout headquarters in Pegasus Road burned down in 1971, the Scouts met in the church hut.

“It was decided to try and build a new headquarters and so the committee decided to look for land on which to build a new one.

“Phil found the ideal spot in Sandy Lane and negotiated with the council to let them have it, to which after much persuasion they agreed to.

“Then started the hard work of fund raising with jumble sales, sponsored walks and waste paper collections by many volunteers and eventually they started to lay the foundations and erecting othe building.

“Many of the leaders, committee members, Scouts and their families all helped with the building of the headquarters, Phil spending all his spare time lifting the bricks and it was officially opened by Ralph Reader on Saturday November 28, 1974.”

In 1981 he was appointed Group Scout Leader and helped to take hundreds of boys on Scout camps, encouraging them to have fun taking part in activities and instilling discipline in the group.

Mrs Hunter added: “He always found the good in the boys and encouraged them to achieve their goals.”

He was awarded the Medal of Merit from the Scout Association in 1980 for his work.

Mr Murphy died in Sobell House Hospice on January 27 and is survived by his wife Joan, children Lionel, June, James and Dorian and eight grandchildren. His funeral service will be held at 12pm on Friday, February 24 at Corpus Christ Church, Headington followed by burial in Rose Hill Cemetery.