Eleanor Anne Murphy

She has lived a full life, sharing her loving heart, wisdom and sense of adventure with so many people over her lifetime. She leaves behind her family who meant so much to her and who will miss her greatly: daughter, Maureen Murphy Smith; son, Brian Murphy; grandchildren, Courtney Smith Kuykendall, Blair Smith, Maeve Murphy, and Patrick Murphy; and great-grandsons Daniel Kuykendall and Hunter Kuykendall.

Eleanor was born in 1924 in the village of Perdue, Sask., Canada, population about 300. Despite living through the drought, the Great Depression, scorching hot summers and bitterly cold winters, Eleanor remembered her childhood with fondness. She loved to ice skate, ride horses, and do whatever her adored18-month-older brother Robert did. After graduating from the town’s only school (for all grades), she went to secretarial college in Winnipeg and soon began doing administrative work at the Transcona Cordite Plant, a major World War II explosives manufacturing facility.

At age 19, Eleanor was recruited to come to Washington, D.C., to work for the British Embassy. It was wartime, and she and two friends set off by train to begin a new life, living together in a women’s rooming house and working at the embassy’s downtown DC office. Eleanor and her friends also volunteered at USO dances, which offered service members a morale boost with music, refreshments, and dancing.

At the lunch counter in her office building, she was introduced to the man she would later marry, Edward Murphy. He worked in the same building after serving in the Pacific during World War II. They married in October 1947 and were married for more than 60 years, until Ed’s death in 2008.

Eleanor and Ed started a family and built a wonderful life together. While Ed worked a demanding job and went to college at night, Eleanor devoted herself to being an extraordinary wife and mother, working part-time at a law firm after the children were in school. She took care of the children and the house, managed the finances (not easy with Ed’s habit of spontaneously inviting guests to dinner and frequenting the racetrack), and became a gourmet chef. She went to every activity and event her children and grandchildren were involved in. Eleanor was a talented seamstress, and frequently whipped up a new outfit for the weekend. The Murphys were very social, hosting and going to parties, and dancing whenever they got the chance.

Summers meant trips to the beach and camping, and a road trip to Canada every other year to see Eleanor’s family. The drive took at least three days each way, there were few interstate options and the Canadian roads were unpaved, yet they always took a different route so the family could experience as much as possible.

After the kids were grown and Ed retired, Eleanor and Ed were able to indulge their love of travel. They made frequent trips to California to explore that part of the country and spend time with Eleanor’s brother and his partner. They went all over Europe (three pub tours of Ireland!), the Caribbean and Australia. They visited friends all over the world, and made new friends wherever they went. Eleanor also had more time to devote to her creative pursuits. She was a talented artist, focusing on oils, watercolor and ceramic tile. Despite their other activities, Eleanor and Ed remained devoted to their family, always willing to help their kids and always present for grandchildren’s activities and major and minor life events.

When Ed became ill with Alzheimer's, Eleanor remained by his side and took care of him despite the significant toll it took on her. She was completely lost after his death and, in 2009, moved to Williamsburg and began a new life at age 85. She was pursued by a number of suitors (all of whom she outlived), and made a close friend with whom she enjoyed more international travel, dinners out and the theater. Though her memory declined, she remained interesting, fun and beautiful, and everyone who met her instantly loved her.

All of us who shared her life are lucky to have had so much time with Eleanor, and she will always be loved, remembered, and missed.