William D Murphy
October 26, 1929 - May 30, 2023
William (Bill) Murphy, 93, of Pine Hills in Plymouth, MA (formerly of Littleton) passed away peacefully on May 30, 2023 at the Plymouth Rehabilitation and Health Center. He was the son of the late Timothy and Amy (MacFarlane) Murphy and grew up in Belmont, MA. He attended Belmont High School and graduated from Boston College in 1951. Upon graduation, Bill enlisted in the Army and served in the Korean War from 1951-1954. As part of the Communication Reconnaissance Group in Seoul, he became an expert in morse code for the Army Security Agency. Upon returning from Korea, Bill earned his MBA from The University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
In 1964, Bill married Barbara Ann Phaneuf, of Bristol CT. They formed a lifelong partnership that lasted 58 years.
The early part of Bill's career was spent at GM and Shell Oil companies, where he worked as an accountant. In 1959, he began a 35-year career at the Boston Edison Company. He was the Internal Auditor, then a manager in the Transportation department, responsible for the maintenance, scheduling and budgeting of the entire fleet of vehicles. Bill loved his graphs and spreadsheets, but there was nothing more exciting than a good storm. He had many stories about sleeping on his army cot in the office for the duration of The Blizzard of '78, Hurricane Gloria, Bob and others, while they worked to restore power in the northeast.
Some of Bill's most treasured memories were from his time spent in Pictou, Nova Scotia. As an only child, he considered his cousins more like brothers and sisters. He remained very close with his extended Canadian family throughout his life.
Bill's love of baseball started very young. He joined the little league in Belmont, and played for Belmont High and BC. In Korea, he was given the task of boosting morale among the troops. Naturally, he organized a baseball league. As a young man, he worked for the Cambridge park league in the summers coaching and umpiring youth baseball. He was an avid fan as well. Bill and Barbara spent many summer evenings watching their YD Red Sox in the Cape Cod League. When it came to the Boston Red Sox, he knew every player from the farm teams on up, and every statistic imaginable.
Bill is survived by his beloved wife, Barbara (Phaneuf) Murphy and his daughters Aran and her husband Paul O'Leary of Newtown CT; Kara and her husband John Ritz of Durham, ME; and Kelle Murphy of Honolulu, HI. He was also the very proud grandfather of Paul, Aidan, and Duncan O'Leary; and Heather and Megan Ritz.
There will be a private ceremony at the National Cemetery in Bourne, MA.
If desired, donations can be made in Bill's name to the St. Labre Indian School in Ashland, Montana, (Stlabre.org), or 1-866-753-5496. It was a cause dear to his heart that he supported for 70 years.
In 1964, Bill married Barbara Ann Phaneuf, of Bristol CT. They formed a lifelong partnership that lasted 58 years.
The early part of Bill's career was spent at GM and Shell Oil companies, where he worked as an accountant. In 1959, he began a 35-year career at the Boston Edison Company. He was the Internal Auditor, then a manager in the Transportation department, responsible for the maintenance, scheduling and budgeting of the entire fleet of vehicles. Bill loved his graphs and spreadsheets, but there was nothing more exciting than a good storm. He had many stories about sleeping on his army cot in the office for the duration of The Blizzard of '78, Hurricane Gloria, Bob and others, while they worked to restore power in the northeast.
Some of Bill's most treasured memories were from his time spent in Pictou, Nova Scotia. As an only child, he considered his cousins more like brothers and sisters. He remained very close with his extended Canadian family throughout his life.
Bill's love of baseball started very young. He joined the little league in Belmont, and played for Belmont High and BC. In Korea, he was given the task of boosting morale among the troops. Naturally, he organized a baseball league. As a young man, he worked for the Cambridge park league in the summers coaching and umpiring youth baseball. He was an avid fan as well. Bill and Barbara spent many summer evenings watching their YD Red Sox in the Cape Cod League. When it came to the Boston Red Sox, he knew every player from the farm teams on up, and every statistic imaginable.
Bill is survived by his beloved wife, Barbara (Phaneuf) Murphy and his daughters Aran and her husband Paul O'Leary of Newtown CT; Kara and her husband John Ritz of Durham, ME; and Kelle Murphy of Honolulu, HI. He was also the very proud grandfather of Paul, Aidan, and Duncan O'Leary; and Heather and Megan Ritz.
There will be a private ceremony at the National Cemetery in Bourne, MA.
If desired, donations can be made in Bill's name to the St. Labre Indian School in Ashland, Montana, (Stlabre.org), or 1-866-753-5496. It was a cause dear to his heart that he supported for 70 years.
