Solbritt Elisabet Murphy M.D.; M.P.H.

Dr. Solbritt Elisabet Murphy of Littleton passed away with her friends by her side after an illness on May 29, 2015.   Solbritt was born in Jonkoping, Sweden, the third child of what was to become a family of six children living in many places in Sweden in the 30’s and 40’s.  She spent the war years on the island of Gotland to which she returned many summers in her youth and life.   As an exchange student, Solbritt studied medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Washington in the 50’s and met her husband, Stanley R. Murphy.  Following her residency in Pediatrics in 1965, Solbritt continually worked towards improving the health of infants and children in public programs at the local and state levels.  Solbritt came to Littleton in 1974 to work at Tri-County Health, starting with the Maternal, Infant, and Child and Youth project and would later become the Associate Director of the Tri-County District Health Department.  In 1981, Solbritt moved to New York where she directed the Bureau of Maternal and Child Health and Division of Family Health, working on programs to reduce infant mortality, improve children’s nutrition, and mothers’ health across the state.    Moving to Austin, TX in 1987, Solbritt directed the Austin-Travis County Health Department.  Solbritt left Austin in 1991 to go to Romania to work in international aid efforts for the abandoned children found there.  Returning to Littleton in 1992, Solbritt focused her efforts on her joy of travel and helping patients, and until she retired she worked across the country as a temporary pediatrician wherever was need.
When her health restricted her travel, Solbritt focused her efforts on assisting the Arapahoe County court, working with crisis and counseling phone lines and participating in the community.  She was a volunteer at the Littleton Museum and continued to counsel up until her last year.

Solbritt is survived by her three children:  Kari Neely of San Jose CA, Steve Murphy of Gothenburg, Sweden, and Britt Murphy of Seattle WA, and six grandchildren.  

A ceremony will be held at 1:00 pm on June 3, 2015 at the First Universalist Church, 4101 E. Hampden Ave, Denver, CO 80222

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