Emma DejongManaging Editor

Heather Murphey, instructor in the English department, died at age 33 at the Brookings Hospital on Jan. 9, with the cause of death being unknown.

Murphey has been teaching composition since she received her Master of Arts in English from SDSU in 2006.

Kathleen Donovan, head of the English department, sent an email on Jan. 11 to all SDSU staff members informing them of the news.

She said Murphey “passed away unexpectedly.”

On Murphey’s Facebook page, many of her friends wrote goodbye messages on her wall.

“It was always good to sit with you and have a heart to heart,” one said. “Your point blank honesty always impressed me as did your intelligence. I loved your laugh and your smile and all that yarn you were always making!”

Another friend posted a quote by Arthur Schopenhauer, a 19th century philosopher:

“The deep pain that is felt at the death of every friendly soul arises from the feeling that there is in every individual something which is inexpressible, peculiar to him alone, and is, therefore, absolutely and irretrievably lost.”

A memorial service for Murphey will be held at 2 p.m. on Jan. 15 at Eidsness Funeral Home in Brookings.