John D. Murphy Jr., 77, passed away peacefully at Emerson Hospital in Concord, Massachusetts, on Tuesday, July 12, 2016. He is survived by his beloved wife of 53 years, Priscilla (Burow) Murphy; two sons, Timothy Scott Murphy of Bolton, Massachusetts, and Mark Daniel Murphy and wife Traci of Lunenberg, Massachusetts; two grandchildren, Anna Lane Murphy and William Taylor Murphy; daughter-in-law, Jennifer (Lane) Crosby; several nieces, nephews and many dear friends. John is predeceased by his son Peter Burow Murphy and two sisters, Ethel Murray and Joan Turner.
John was born in Weymouth, Massachusetts, to the late John and Grace (Eagan) Murphy. He graduated from Archbishop Williams High School, Class of 1957, where he excelled in athletics as a member of the varsity baseball team. Following graduation, John was selected to play in the Cape Cod Baseball League, where he won the prestigious Triple Crown Award in his rookie season. He then enlisted to proudly serve our nation as a U.S. navigator on the Douglas A3D and was honorably discharged as an air traffic controller petty officer 2nd class. He returned home safely to obtain a bachelor of arts degree in journalism from Boston University and began his career with Digital Equipment Corporation.
John continued employment with Compaq and ultimately retired from Hewlett-Packard as a human resources consultant. He had presently been employed by Village Transportation in Sterling, Massachusetts. He was an active member of the community, volunteering with the town of Bolton, Massachusetts, human resources committee and as a former Little League baseball coach. He was also a board member of the National Ombudsman Society.
A talented athlete and dedicated sports fan, John enjoyed many years of skiing in Vermont at Mad River Glen, playing baseball and golf and cheering for the Red Sox. A memorial service will be held at the Murphy residence in Bolton, Massachusetts, at a date and time to be announced. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the care of Philbin-Comeau Funeral Home, 176 Water Street, Clinton, Massachusetts. Memorial contributions may be made in memory of John D. Murphy Jr. to the Bolton Ambulance Fund, P.O. Box 382, Bolton, MA 01740. Online condolences may be placed at www.philbincomeaufh.com.
