In Memory of Daniel

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Text last updated Dec. 21, 2010

The family is saddened by the passing of Daniel, devoted husband of Lorraine, loving father of Dan, Kathy, Brien and Kevin, beloved grandfather of Marie, Dan, Genevieve, Vivien, Patrick, Shanna, Kevin, Christine and Andy and great-grandfather of Xander.

After a brief illness, Daniel died peacefully Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2010, at St. John's Riverside Hospital in Yonkers, with his children beside him. Over the previous several days he had received many visits and calls expressing the love of his family members and close friends. He spoke with gratitude of the wonderful life he'd lived, and spoke with joy of his deep love for his wife and family. He will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by all who knew him.

The following obituary was published in the Journal News on Dec. 17, 2010 and appears on the web site of Flynn Memorial Home.

Daniel Barker Austin Murphy, Ph.D., of Yonkers, chemist, educator and devoted family man, died Wednesday after a brief illness. He was 82. Dr. Murphy was professor emeritus at Lehman College in The Bronx, N.Y. He began his 34-year association with the City University of New York as a chemistry instructor at Hunter College in 1957, advancing to associate professor before transferring to Lehman in 1967. He retired as a full professor in 1991 but continued to teach part-time and to maintain a research laboratory at Lehman for several years.

Dr. Murphy was author of a textbook, “Foundations of College Chemistry” (with co-author Viateur Rousseau), and of numerous articles in scientific journals and papers presented at conferences in the United States and Europe. He was visiting professor at the University of Derby, England, in 1993 and 1994. He was a member of the American Chemical Society, Royal Society of Chemistry, Sigma Xi, the scientific research society, and Phi Lambda Upsilon, the national chemistry honor society.

Born April 7, 1928 in Richmond Hill, Queens, Dr. Murphy developed his interest in science at an early age. A 1944 graduate of Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Brooklyn, he received his B.S. (1947) and M.S. (1949) in chemistry from Fordham University. After two years teaching at the University of Scranton, he worked as a research chemist at Picatinny Arsenal in Dover, N.J., from 1951-54. He then joined Pennsylvania State University as a research assistant and graduate student in fuel science, and was awarded his doctorate in 1958.

In 1951 he married Lorraine Carey of Yonkers, whom he had met while she worked as a secretary in Fordham’s chemistry department. Their 59-year marriage was the essence of his life and the family they raised together was his proudest achievement. After living in Morristown, N.J., and State College, Pa., the couple moved to Yonkers in 1957 and became members of St. Paul the Apostle R.C. Church. Their four children attended the parish school and Dr. Murphy was past president of the parish council.

For 40 years the family has had a summer home near Sag Harbor, N.Y., and one of Dr. Murphy’s favorite pastimes was sailing on Noyac Bay. His many other interests included travel and music; he was a member and past president of the Male Glee Club of Yonkers.

His interest in science and his devotion to his faith led him to write and publish “Science and Faith: Partners in the Search for Truth” (2009), explaining his firm conviction that science and religion are complementary, not contradictory.

Dr. Murphy is survived by his wife; sons Daniel C., Brien J. and Kevin A. Murphy; daughter Kathleen M. Civetta; nine grandchildren and a great-grandson.

Please add your memories of Daniel. E-mail them to birchstreetweb@gmail.com for inclusion on this page.

Comments/Memories:

Dan, you were:

The first person to take me fishing -

Quiet, brilliant, interesting, and one of my top ten picks for good conversation -

Guaranteed to make me laugh in agreement about some crack in society's logic.

I won't wish you a resting in peace, but an eternity of unbridled joy.

Until we meet again,

Madelon

(Bob-O-Link '70)

Eulogy

Remarks by Daniel's oldest son, Dan, during the funeral Mass at St. Paul the Apostle Church on Dec. 20.

This is that time to weep, that time to mourn. But in all honesty

the most powerful emotions I feel are not sadness and grief, but gratitude to have had such a great Dad -- and joy, really, in knowing that he felt great satisfaction with his life.

No regrets. No what-ifs or if-onlys. Dad felt he had gotten everything he wanted out of life, and then some. And truly, if he had it to do all over again, he would want to do it all over again.

Starting with asking Lorraine Carey to marry him. Clearly he considered that the best decision he ever made. Theirs was a love story to inspire, a love to admire. They married young -- but they knew what they were doing. Fifty-nine years of marriage proved that.

My sister, my brothers and I were privileged to have such a loving couple as our parents. Dad liked to say of the four of us that he loved each one of us the most. And each one of us felt that. And felt lucky to have him for our Dad.

Now, I’m going on and on about him as a husband, father, family man. Of course he was also a scientist; a chemist; a teacher; a researcher; an author; and, as many saw him, a philosopher.

He was a great believer -- in the faith of his Church; in the logic of science; and in the unity of science and faith -- "Partners in the search for truth.”

But I do think he saw himself first and foremost as a husband and as a father -- and then as a grandfather, and great-grandfather. And as his family grew, he loved each and every one of us the most.

Now he has reached the end of a wonderful adventure. And I see him now with the tiller in his hand, the sun in his face, the wind at his side. Coming into the channel under sail. Red - right - returning.

Into the harbor. Safe home, Dad.

July 7, 2008

Summer 2008

Aug, 2, 2007

Summer 2008

Easter 2007

Lorraine's birthday, 7/7/2007

Anniversary party, August 2001