Josephine A. (nee Waldron) Murphy died on April 16, 2021. She was the daughter of Margaret and Joseph Waldron and was born in Boston on St. Patrick’s Day, a birthday she shared with her older sister, Patsy. Jo was the middle child of five, arriving in 1936 after Richard and Patsy but before Kathy and Peggy. She adored her siblings, their spouses and their children and modeled herself after Gram, loving matriarch of the Waldron clan.
Jo always dressed beautifully and would not let something as arbitrary as time get in the way of that. The story goes that she met her husband, Don, on a blind date in a bowling alley, and they were married in 1956. Later in life they enjoyed traveling together throughout the US and Europe, especially their trips to see Peggy and Graham in England and Kathy and Hal in North Dakota. Jo continued traveling after Don’s death in 2000 and relished visiting her daughter Laura and son-in-law Tibor at their home in Florida. She enjoyed attending the theater in Boston and when she moved out to Northampton to be near her daughter Cindy and son-in-law Patrick, she became a regular attendee at performances in the area. Living in Northampton also allowed Jo more time to watch her granddaughters Maggie and Delia participate in track and Irish dance and to go out for ice cream with Rosie.
The Roslindale gang of Terry and Bud, Val and Dick, Marietta and Paul were her most cherished friends, and the “Mystery Weekends” will remain just that.
Dogs were companions throughout Jo’s life, but the most faithful was Ginger, who moved with Jo from Westwood to Lathrop in Northampton and then to Linda Manor Assisted Living. Ginger passed away 6 months before Jo’s death, and we take comfort in the fact that Ginger is waiting across the Rainbow Bridge knowing Jo will have a couple of treats in her pocket.
We are most grateful for the care shown by her dedicated team at Linda Manor Assisted Living, Cooley-Dickinson and Day Brook Senior Village. Alzheimer’s can be brutal, but their compassion eased the road. Arrangements are being provided by Williamsburg Funeral Home https://www.hampshirecremation.com/obituaries
Jo’s first job was at the Boston Public Library, so in lieu of flowers or gifts, the family requests donations to the Boston Public Library Fund in memory of Jo Murphy. Gifts may be directed to Boston Public Library Fund, 700 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116 or online at bplfund.org. Please indicate “in memory of Jo Murphy” in the memo line.
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