Nora Murphy

Nora (Moriarty) Murphy, 82, of Madison, formerly of East Haven, died on February 2, 2012. She was the beloved wife of John Francis Murphy who passed away December 20, 1977. Noin, as she was called, was born July 30, 1929, the 7th of 10 children to John and Annie Moriarty in beautiful County Kerry, Ireland.

Noin left Ireland in March of 1949, when she was 19 years old. She arrived on April Fool’s Day, an American holiday that she grew to love!! She had no formal education but said ‘if I had gone to college, I would be running the country’. She left a huge inheritance to her five children. This included a lifetime full of funny stories and crazy Nanny saying’s, the ability to laugh when sad, cry for others in pain and give to those less fortunate. Lastly, she gave her children the gift of her beautiful, motherly love for their whole lives. Her hobbies included losing money at the Mohegan Sun, watching The Wheel and Fox News, petting her favorite dog, Fiona, complaining about how food was cooked at restaurants and, more seriously, loving her big Irish family and her close friends, young and old. Her family couldn’t get enough of her love and her light. Noin’s departure was the end of the ‘old Irish’ era for all of us.

She leaves behind her five children: daughter Annie Kelly and her husband Patrick of Madison, son John Francis Jr. and his wife Pattie of Guilford, her partner- in- crime and daughter Mary Ellen Murphy of Ansonia , Son Dennis Patrick and his wife Nancy of Killingworth and daughter Eileen Smith and her husband Artie of Clinton. She also leaves behind 15 grandchildren and 1 great grandson that adored her: Shannon Kelly Ruby (husband Bryan), Megan Kelly Gilman (husband Matt), Patrick, Sean, Kerri Murphy Peck (husband Cory), Jessica, Jason, Dennis, Erin, Jillian, Liam, Tara, Rory, Riley, Brendan and baby Matty. Lastly, she leaves behind her beautiful nieces, nephews and friends from her adopted country the USA, her homeland Ireland, England, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

Family and friends may visit the Swan Funeral Home, 825 Boston Post Rd. Madison, Monday February 6, from 4 to 8. A mass will be celebrated on Tuesday February 7, at 11am at St. Theresa Church in North Haven, interment will follow at all Saints Cemetery also in North Haven. In lieu of flowers, our generous mom would want donations sent to the Shoreline Soup Kitchens, PO Box 804, Essex, CT 06426. Please visit www.swanfuneralhomemadison.com for condolences and tributes.