Edward Joseph Murphy

MADISON -- Edward Joseph Murphy spent much of his life creating things to reach the stars. He is now amongst them, having made his final ascent on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010. He passed away peacefully at his home in Madison, surrounded by family and is now at rest with God Our Father. He was 87 years old.

Edward was born on April 22, 1922, in Hackensack, N.J., to Edward Murphy and Margaret (Beine) Murphy. He enlisted and served in the Navy. During this time he met his beloved wife, Lucille Priebe. Lucille and Edward married in Amityville, N.Y., on April 8, 1944. Also in 1944, he began his illustrious career at Grumman Aerospace Corporation. His career at Grumman spanned 43 stellar years. He was an engineer on many of our nation's finest jets and space exploration vehicles, including the F-14 Tomcat, A-6 Intruder, the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) used on the Apollo space missions, the Space Shuttle and International Space Station programs. He received many accolades and awards for his efforts, and traveled the country to liaison with the Navy and NASA .

Lucille and Edward moved to Massapequa, N.Y., in 1953. During this time they came into the Catholic Church and began their family of six children. Edward was a member of Knights of Columbus, served as a Boy Scout Troop leader, and with other fraternal organizations. He loved nothing more than spending time with his family. Some favorite family pastimes were spending the day at Jones or Tobay beach, hiking the mountains of upstate New York, visiting the lighthouses, arboretums and sanctuaries of the area, and later vacations to visit family in Maine. He was an accomplished photographer and received dozens of awards for his work. He was a caring and creative man, whether making animal-shaped pancakes for his children or hand-coloring their Easter eggs.

Edward retired from Grumman in 1987. He and Lucille moved to Madison in 1994. They built a home and surrounded it with a lovely garden as they always had at their home in Massapequa. Edward loved to spend time at his daughter's house on Lake Wesserunset, or enjoy lunch with Lucille on the banks of the Kennebec River. He loved trips to the coast, and spending time with his family. He was a member of St. Sebastian Catholic Church in Madison and volunteered at St. Anthony's Soup Kitchen in Skowhegan.

Edward was a beloved and devoted husband and father, whose life's work was ensuring that his family was well cared for. He is survived by and will be missed by his treasured wife of 66 years, Lucille Murphy of Madison; his children, daughter Mary Murphy; son Edward Christopher Murphy and his wife, Norma, of San Diego; daughter Michaela "Kala" Marie Murphy of Madison; daughter Beth Ann Swain and her husband, Shaun, of Madison; and his twin daughters Maura Ann Murphy and Celia Ann Murphy of Madison. He will be remembered by his grandson, Jonathan Saunders Swain and his wife, Larissa, of Utah, and special family members. The family would like to convey special appreciation to the caring team that made it possible for Edward to spend his final days in the comfort of his home: Elder Independence of Maine, Mainely Elder Care, Beacon Hospice, Rachel Krajewski, Rachel George, Jan Paine, and the many other devoted angels on earth who cared for Ed, as well as the Eucharistic ministers of St. Sebastian Catholic Church.

Visitation hours are between the hours of 7 and 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26, at Smart & Edwards Funeral Home, 183 Madison Ave., Skowhegan. A Mass of Christian burial will be held as a celebration of his life at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, at Saint Sebastian Catholic Church on Main Street in Madison.

Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Smart and Edwards Funeral Home, 183 Madison Ave., Skowhegan.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Sebastian Church, 161 Main St., Madison, ME 04950, or Hospice Volunteers of Somerset County, P.O. Box 3069, Skowhegan, ME 04976.