Eileen A. Murphy did all she could to help thousands of older adults in King County stay independent and vital as they aged.

So, too, did the widely admired administrator seek that kind of life for herself — joyful, committed and filled with a wide range of interests and friends.

Ms. Murphy, vice president of information services with Senior Services of Seattle/King County, died Wednesday at 54 after suffering a heart attack last week during a brief vacation.

"Eileen was the heart and soul of our agency," said Denise Klein, executive director of Senior Services.

"She was a can-do person, never tooting her own horn or asking for compensation. A life of service is what she was about."

Ms. Murphy joined Senior Services in 1979 as a telephone advocate, helping connect callers with services. From 1984 to 2002, she managed several of the agency's major programs, which provided seniors with information, transportation, home sharing and home repair, legal assistance and caregiver support.

Klein credited Ms. Murphy with largely creating the computer database for the agency's Information and Assistance Program, which enabled trained advocates to guide seniors and their families to services.

Ms. Murphy also trained what are called "gatekeepers" across the county — from police officers to meter readers — on how to look out for older residents who might be isolated in their homes and need assistance.

One of her passions was working to stop elder abuse and exploitation.

"I had the privilege of working with Eileen for 26 years," said Margaret Strachan, a Senior Services vice president. "She had an extraordinary commitment to service and a generous and caring nature."

A breast-cancer survivor, Ms. Murphy helped to develop Senior Services Breast Health Education and Screening Project for older women, which reached nearly 1,200 women last year.

Ms. Murphy was born the oldest child of four in Anaconda, Mont. She attended Catholic elementary and high schools, then earned a bachelor's degree from the College of Great Falls in Great Falls. Later, she received a master's degree from the University of California at Northridge.

"Eileen was always the smart one, the wise one in our family," said her sister, Patty Kohoutek of Great Falls. "We all looked up to her for guidance."

Ms. Murphy's personal life was filled with people — from her longtime partner to fellow church members, Scrabble mates who met monthly and a small band of women she'd known from her college days.

To those who knew her well, "she was very quick-witted and funny, and could tell wonderful stories," said her friend from college, Sheila McKinnon of Seattle.

When the game Trivial Pursuit was in vogue, Ms. Murphy could be a one-person team competing against a bunch of people on the other team and "still win the game," McKinnon recalled.

At her home in West Seattle, Ms. Murphy was a voracious reader — usually two or three books at a time — who kept a list that described and rated every book she had read, said her partner, Debbie Crumb.

Ms. Murphy also loved playing cards and watching cooking shows on TV while filling out crossword puzzles. She and Crumb held season tickets to Seattle Storm games and traveled widely, making a hobby of filling up a national parks passport book with stamps documenting their visits.

"She was just the center of my life and I miss her so much," Crumb said.

Ms. Murphy also served as treasurer, board member and unofficial greeter of Findlay Street Christian Church in Seattle's Rainier Valley.

"She had great clarity of thought and humor," said Pastor Joan Dennehy.

Every Sunday, Ms. Murphy and Crumb sat in the same back pew so they could sing and dance to the music. Dennehy could see them from the pulpit — feeling free to be joyful.

Ms. Murphy's "spirit was contagious," Dennehy said. "She was very calm and centered and impish at the same time."

Besides her partner and sister, Ms. Murphy is survived by two brothers who live in Montana, Jim, of Kalispell, and Dan, of Anaconda; four nephews; and one niece.

Details of a memorial service Sept. 24 will be posted on this Web site: Eileen-Murphy.memory-of.com

Remembrances may be sent to the American Red Cross for victims of Hurricane Katrina; Senior Services of Seattle/King County, 2208 Second Ave., Seattle, WA 98121; or Findlay Street Christian Church, 4620 S. Findlay, Seattle, WA 98118.

Marsha King: 206-464-2232 or mking@seattletimes.com