Murphy Roger Couch (age 78) passed away on October 28, 2017 after an extended illness. He was born in Loganville, Georgia, to Leon and Ezra Reynolds Couch on May 15, 1939. He attended Decatur High School where he was on the 1957 State AAA Basketball Championship team. He was selected to represent Decatur in the state all-star game as a co-captain. Upon graduation from Decatur, he received a basketball scholarship to the University of Georgia, where he played his freshman year. He transferred to Oglethorpe University in 1958 earning an academic and athletic scholarship and played three years varsity basketball and baseball. During all three years he received numerous awards including best defensive player, effort, and free throw shooter. He wanted to be a coach and learned from the best, his coach at Oglethorpe, Dr. Garland Pinholster.

At Oglethorpe University he majored in history and physical education and received a B.A. degree in 1961 where he was a member of Blue Key National Honor Society and was a Rhodes Scholar candidate. He went on to receive his Master’s degree from the University of Georgia in 1966. Upon his graduation from Oglethorpe, he accepted the head basketball coaching job at his Alma Mater, Decatur High School. His teaching career expanded from high schools (Decatur & Druid Hills), junior colleges (Gulf Coast Community & DeKalb) and major universities (Oglethorpe, Vanderbilt, & Georgia State). He was awarded Coach of the Year fourteen times in his twenty year coaching career. He was president of GJCAA for four years, region director of NJCAA for four years, and president of the NJCAA Basketball Coaches Association. He was selected to the Oglethorpe Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003. He is a former member of Buckhead Rotary and former member of the Board of the Atlanta Tip-Off Club.

After his coaching career, he went on to establish a successful career in the Insurance Industry, where he completed his CPCU degree in 1991 and established his own insurance consulting business, Couch & Associates. He retired in 2009. He is a member of Dunwoody Baptist Church and the Samaritan Bible Study Class.

Surviving relations include his wife of 37 years, Nan Heston Couch, children Rory Couch, Crista Couch (Julie Dobbs) and their daughters Savannah and Ashley, Marc Couch (Tiffanie) and their daughters Marnie and Della, Kim Clapper (Jeff) and their sons Christopher and Jonathan, Wes Sadler (Joy) and their sons Hudson and Jordan, David Sadler and his son Chance, and former daughter-in-law Leigh Nicely and her daughter Ava. Also survived by his sister and brother-in-law Anne and Carl Ferguson, several nieces and nephews, and his sister-in-law Edith Heston Harmon and her three children, Carter, Amy, and Travis Harmon.

Roger’s greatest legacy to his family was his strong faith in God expressed in his love and kindness through the years. His motto every day was to do the right thing. He will be greatly missed.

Visitation will be at Turner’s Funeral Home in Decatur, Georgia on Wednesday November 1 from 4:00-7:00 pm and Thursday November 2 from 11:30am-12:30pm. His celebration of life will be at Turner’s Funeral Home on Thursday November 2 at 1:00 pm. He will be laid to rest in the Decatur Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society.

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