Green Bay fan will forever be a Packer after taking wife's last name

Dr. Marie Packer was already planning on keeping her last name. Ryan Holtan-Murphy said it was a "no-brainer" to take her name.

June 20, 2017 at 6:47PM
(Howard Sinker/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
(The Minnesota Star Tribune)

By now you might have heard about the Green Bay fan who took his wife's last name in marriage because it was Packer. But if you haven't heard about the story — it got plenty of publicity in the months leading up to their wedding Saturday — or even if you have, here is a recap of some of the details:

*Ryan Holtan-Murphy, 41, is the fan in question. He met Marie Packer, 38, at a karaoke bar in Madison. When she told him her last name, he didn't believe her and made her prove it by showing multiple forms of identification.

*Ryan, a Wauwatosa, Wis., native, proposed while wearing an Aaron Rodgers jersey. As they moved along with plans to get married in Chicago, Holtan-Murphy tweeted an invitation to former Packers safety LeRoy Butler.

*Marie Packer, a doctor, was already planning on keeping her last name. Ryan said it was a "no-brainer" to take her name.

*Their wedding Saturday in Chicago featured a lot of green and gold. Ryan even changed into a Packers suit during the reception.

I think that sums it all up.

about the writer

about the writer

Michael Rand

Columnist / Reporter

Michael Rand is the Minnesota Star Tribune's Digital Sports Senior Writer and host/creator of the Daily Delivery podcast. In 25 years covering Minnesota sports at the Minnesota Star Tribune, he has seen just about everything (except, of course, a Vikings Super Bowl).

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