Vincent B. Murphy Jr.

MURPHY Vincent B. Murphy Jr. Investment banker, Merrill Lynch senior exec, 78 Vincent B. Murphy Jr., a former executive managing partner with Salomon Brothers and a senior executive with Merrill Lynch, died at his home in Far Hills from complications with Alzheimers. He was 78. The viewing will be at his home on Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m. and the Mass will be at St. Bridgids Church in Peapack on Friday at 11 a.m. Arrangements are by the Bailey Funeral Home of Peapack, (908) 234-0590. Mr. Murphy had a long and distinguished career as an investment banker. He joined Salomon Brothers in 1964, at the time it was a small Wall Street bond house. He became a general partner at the young age of 39. Working closely with Bill Salomon, he was responsible for a number of key initiatives, which helped Salomon Brothers become a major financial institution. Among many other accomplishments, he was instrumental in the design and functionality of the trading floor, which became internationally renowned as The Room. He was an executive managing partner for a number of years before leaving to join Merrill Lynch in 1980. At Merrill, Mr. Murphy was president of Merrill Lynch Capital Resources Inc., and then special assistant to the chairman for the firm. In that position, he cultivated the firms business relationship with the Vatican and Holy Sea. As an advisor to the Vatican, he was successful in implementing major restructurings in order to automate and computerize the complex financial systems of the Catholic Church around the world. Born on July 24, 1928, in Rochester, N.Y., Mr. Murphy graduated from Yale University and attended Wharton Graduate School. He served in the Korean War as a Marine, where he earned the rank of major and received the Purple Heart. A devout catholic, Mr. Murphy was very active in the church. He was anointed a member of the Knights of St. Gregory, Knights of Malta and a former member of the Board of Councillors of the Knights of Malta and a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre. An art enthusiast, he served on the board of Patrons of the Arts of the Vatican Museum. Mr. Murphy had a passion for horses and for years was the president of the U.S. Equestrian Team and director of the National Horse Show and Devon Horse Show. Additionally, he was a member of the Board of Overseers of the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. A longtime advocate of his home state of New Jersey, Mr. Murphy became the first chairman of the Liberty State Park Development Corp. at the request of former Gov. Brendan Byrne. He played a key role in the parks transition to a thriving and active waterfront facility. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Patricia Duffy Murphy; their six children, Vincent, Patricia, Kevin, Daniel, Michaela and Karen; 20 grandchildren, and a sister, Sheelagh Masterson. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Vincent B. Murphy Jr. Memorial Fund at the Alzheimers Association, 300 Lexington Ave., Sixth Floor, New York, N.Y. 10017.