Thomas J. Murtha

BOLTON

Dr. Thomas J. Murtha, 90, died peacefully on Friday, March 25, 2022, in his home, under the loving care of his family.  His wife of 61 years, Naomi T. (Stevens) Murtha, died in 2014.

He leaves two daughters: Penny Anne Laythe of Dayville, CT, and Cathleen Thomas of Bedford, NH; three sons: Dr. Thomas J. Murtha, III, of No. Andover, John T. Murtha of Bolton, and Daniel P. Murtha of Winchendon; ten grandchildren, six great-grandchildren; a brother, Kevin Murtha of Reno, NV, and two sisters, Lynn Kellett of East Dennis, MA, and Kathleen Murtha of Mill Valley, CA; many nieces and nephews. He and Naomi were predeceased by their daughter, Patricia Riel, in 2003.

Thomas was born in NY and raised in the Catskill Mountains, in the Town of Windham, the eldest child of Thomas J. and Yolanda (Cherubini) Murtha. He graduated from Windham High School and attended Cornell University College of Agriculture.  In 1953, while a student at the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine, he married the girl next door, his high school sweetheart, Naomi, who supported him for the next two years while he completed his studies and attained his doctoral degree.  They then relocated to Massachusetts and in 1957, settled in Bolton, where they raised Angus cattle and horses on their farm. 

For many years, he practiced Veterinary Medicine in Concord and Lancaster.  He was an Honor Roll member of The American Veterinary Medical Association; American Animal Hospital Association; Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association, and Past President of the Worcester County Veterinary Society. At Cornell, Dr. Murtha was a member of Alpha Zeta, the National Honorary Agricultural Fraternity, and the Alpha Psi Veterinary Fraternity. 

Dr. Murtha served with the U.S. Army and later, the US Army Reserve, before his Honorable Discharge as a First Lieutenant in 1963.

Throughout his 65-year residence, he was an active member of St. Francis Xavier Church, and served the Town of Bolton as a member of both the Finance and Advisory Committee and was a Founding Member and Trustee of the Bolton Conservation Trust. He loved to attend local sports events, especially baseball, and together, he and Naomi enjoyed skiing, tennis, and golf at the International Golf Course.   

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Monday, March 28, 2022 at 11:00 AM in St. Francis Xavier Church, Bolton. Burial in West Cemetery is private. There are no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, for those who wish, please consider a donation to a charity he held close to his heart, the Alzheimer’s Association, at www.alz.org,  in honor of his late wife, Naomi.

Funeral arrangements are under the care and direction of the McNally & Watson Funeral Home, 304 Church Street, Clinton.