Anastasia, Grace Lura (nee Murphy) died June 20, 2018, at the age of 92. Born November 17, 1925, at 29 Cottage Avenue, Winthrop, Massachusetts, she was a daughter of John Lester Murphy and Grace Eula Slingerland. She, along with her siblings, grew up and went to school in Winthrop. She always spoke fondly of her childhood and how she loved living by the ocean.
She was predeceased by her brothers Charles Coveney Murphy, Lester Slingerland Murphy, George Fay Murphy and Robert Ronald Murphy as well as by her sister Barbara Marian (Clarke, Morton). Her surviving brother Leon Alexander Murphy lives in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania with his wife and childhood sweetheart Bertha Bryant Murphy.
After graduating from secretarial school she married Philip William Anastasia on August 1, 1948. She lived in Newton, Massachusetts for many years of her married life. When Phil bought the Flower Bouquet located at 1189 Centre Street, Newton Centre she helped him with the business. She later worked as a secretary at Boston College.
Grace was ‘First Mate’ of the 32-foot cabin cruiser Phil built in their backyard, called The Seven Year Itch. The family enjoyed many trips out into Boston Harbor to fish or to visit and picnic on the islands in the harbor.
They retired to the cape to the home they had designed and built in Brewster. As a couple they ran a B&B called The Skep Garden in their home for many years. Grace later worked at the Brewster Store, The Strawberry Patch, Cape Cod Museum of Natural History and at Snows Hardware.
Grace was fascinated with her family’s background and spent many years researching her genealogy. She compiled and organized numerous binders of information that she readily shared with other interested relatives and posted on Ancestry.com. Her research lead her to discover 2 relatives who served in the Revolutionary War thus making it possible for her to become a member of the Daughter’s of the American Revolution (DAR).
Grace was a member of the Brewster Historical Society and the Red Hat Society. She enjoyed doing crafts (but not sewing as it made her sick to her stomach), herb gardening and reading. She disliked cooking, but made an excellent blueberry pie, pot roast and apple crisp.
Unfortunately Grace was diagnosed with cognitive impairment about 4 years ago. Honoring her wishes, her children cared for her in her home for 3 years until she required round the clock care. She has been a patient at Rosewood Manor in Harwich, MA, for the last year.
In lieu of flowers her family asks that you spend time with the people you love as well as reaching out to others you may not have seen or talked to recently. As we all know, life is precious and fleeting.
She is survived by her 4 children and their significant others: Karen A. Myers of Ridgewood, NJ, Philip P. and Donna Anastasia of Roslindale, MA, Dennis M. and Patricia Anastasia of Hyannis, MA, Paul D. Anastasia of Walpole, MA, as well as nine grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
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