Margaret Ann Murphy, 81; Nurse, Grandma

Margaret Ann Murphy.

Margaret Ann Murphy, 81, died on July 25, 2016 in Flemington.

A native of Waterbury, Ct., she lived in Hartford and Newington, Ct. before moving to Somerset in 1966. She was a 1955 graduate of St. Mary’s Hospital School of Nursing in Waterbury, CT. She was employed by St. Mary’s as an RN in the operating room and clinical instructor to student nurses.

After marrying Donald C. Murphy in 1957 Peggy, as she was known to her family and friends, was a stay at home mom for her three children. She was a den mother for her son Matthew’s Cub Scout Den in Pack 113 of Somerset.

Peggy went back to work as an RN in 1972 when her mother, Mildred Curley, came to live with her and King James Nursing Care Center of Somerset opened its doors. At King James, Peggy was instrumental in putting in place a medical day care program and was involved in the creation of their long-term care coma management unit, as well as a sub-acute head trauma rehabilitation unit in association with the then-UMDNJ of New Jersey, RWJ Medical school. She was named Director of Professional Services on a corporate level for the King James organization as well as Assistant Administrator of their Somerset facility.

Peggy retired from King James after 25 years of service in 1997 to start her new career as a “Nana” to her new granddaughter, Alexandra Margaret Mannix. Over the next couple of years her “Nana” career expanded to include grandson Joseph and granddaughter Mia. Peggy helped to raise her grandchildren until the youngest, Mia, entered kindergarten.

She was predeceased by her loving husband, Donald, on September 30, 1984. She was also predeceased by her parents George and Mildred Curley and her brothers, Thomas Curley of Waterbury Ct. and John E. Curley of Pittsburgh Pa.

She leaves her loving and kind sister, Catherine (Kay) Curley of Leesburg, Va.; her son, Mark Murphy and his wife Lisa of Orange County Ca.; her son Matthew Murphy and his wife Jill, of Flemington; her daughter, Meg Murphy of Flemington and her six grandchildren: Jordan Murphy of Scottsdale, Az. and Casey Murphy of Orange County, Ca. Kelsey Bornstein Murphy and Alexandra, Joseph and Mia Mannix of Flemington. She is also survived by her many nieces and nephews, especially Michael, Thomas and Jennifer Kiernan with whom she vacationed every summer in Bethany Beach, De.

Her love for her family was unconditional. Peggy would like to acknowledge her dear companion of 16 years, Aaron Gerald “Jerry” Goldman, her best friend Patricia Brown and good friend Joe Fishman, all of Somerset. They were always close at hand.

Viewing will be Friday, August 5, from 4-8 P.M. at Gleason Funeral Home, 1360 Hamilton St. Somerset. A funeral mass will be held on Saturday, August 6, 2016 at 10:30 A.M. at St. Matthias Church on JFK Boulevard in Somerset, followed by interment at Franklin Memorial Park.

In Lieu of flowers, please consider donations in Margaret Murphy’s name to the Somerville Elks Charitable Trust, C/O Susan Kelly, 375 Union Ave, Bridgewater, NJ 08807. These donations will support local children fighting cancer; or donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundations of America, www.alzfdn.org or 322 Eighth Ave., 7th floor, New York, NY 10001.

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