Elizabeth Rodriguez-Murphy

Elizabeth Rodriguez-Murphy, 60, of Manchester, NJ passed away on August 22, 2026 surrounded by her extensive loving family, after a brief illness. She was a cherished wife, step-mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin, friend, co-worker and pet mom, who will be deeply missed by those she left behind. She was known as “Nonna Liz” to her grandchildren, “Liz” or “Lisa” to family and friends.

Liz was born the youngest of 7 children to Casildo and Blanca Nieves (Morales) Rodriguez, at Fitkin Hospital (Jersey Shore Medical Center) in Neptune, NJ. She was raised on Harrison Street in Summit Park and attended Manchester Township schools where she played Field Hockey and was a student-manager of the Girls’ Softball Team. She was a proud member of the MTHS class of 1983.

After high school, Liz went on to study at Georgian Court University for a year, before entering the workforce. For the past 20 years, Liz had been working in different capacities with youth programs at the Lakehurst Child Development Center at the former Naval Air Engineering Center (NAEC-Lakehurst), now designated as NAWCAD Lakehurst on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JBMDL). She moved to the McGuire Youth Programs location in Wrightstown, NJ in 2020.

In 2002, Liz met her future husband, Patrick Bernard Murphy (Murf) at the VFW in Lakehurst. They were inseparable from the start, and married in 2006. Family was always at the center of her existence, and Liz and Murf welcomed many extended family members into their circle. Together they hosted numerous family gatherings, BBQs and Christmas parties where all of the nieces and nephews learned how to play card games, board games and dice games, and they organized countless ‘Friends and Family’ poker nights.

Liz enjoyed traveling to visit her step-children in Italy and her family in Ohio, and hosting out of town family here on vacations. She was an avid reader whose tablet was never out of her reach. She possessed a generous nature and gave unconditional love. Liz had a memorable sense of humor (some would call sarcasm!) that will make everyone chuckle at the thought. She never shied away from voicing her opinions, but always tempered her comments with humor. We’re going to miss her wit, her laughter, her hugs and her big heart, and know there is a void in the depths of OUR hearts that will only be filled when we meet again.

Liz was predeceased by her parents. She is survived by Murf, step daughter Daniela Mary Murphy, step-son James Patrick Murphy, her grandchildren Martina, Pieter, Patrick Jr. and Jace, sister Maria Gonzales, brother Joseph Rodriguez, brother Hector Rodriguez, sister Luci Martinez, sister Iris Rodriguez and sister Gladys Gould. She leaves behind dozens of nieces, nephews and cousins, her best friends Helen and William Robertson and Eugene Spear, cherished friends and colleagues and her beloved dog and cat, Thor and Mango.