Barbara A. "McKiernan" Murphy

Barbara A. (McKiernan) Murphy, a registered nurse and dedicated caregiver, died peacefully on January 15 at her home in Worcester. She was 87. She was predeceased by her husband of 57 years, James F. Murphy in 2018.

Mrs. Murphy devoted much of her professional life to people living on society's margins, most notably inmates at the Worcester County Jail and House of Correction, where she worked for 23 years, retiring in 2002 as head nurse. Mrs. Murphy's dedication helped transform HIV care in Massachusetts correctional facilities. In the 1980s and 1990s, as fear and misinformation about AIDS were widespread, she emerged as a leading advocate for education, testing, and humane treatment of people living with HIV.

In 1985, she treated her first patient to test positive for HIV at the Worcester County Jail. Two years later, she helped develop the AIDS Risk Reduction Program, which provided education and voluntary HIV testing. The program became a national model for correctional facilities seeking to address the epidemic with public-health rigor rather than punishment or neglect.

As the jail's HIV nurse coordinator, Mrs. Murphy ran the in-house clinic for the HIV-positive population and served as a case manager and educator. She was instrumental in obtaining compassionate releases for several terminally ill inmates, allowing them to spend their final days with family members or in hospice care. In honor of her pioneering work, she received a Community Recognition Award in 1994 from the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts.

Barbara Ann McKiernan was born on June 19, 1938, in Worcester and was a lifelong resident of the city. The eldest of nine children, she was the daughter of Capt. William P. McKiernan, Worcester Fire Department and Pearl M. Jeannotte. She was predeceased by her sister, Kathleen M. Taylor, and brothers LtCol Robert F. McKiernan (USMC) (Ret.), and William P. McKiernan, Jr. She is survived by three brothers, John J. McKiernan and his wife Annette of Paxton, Terence J. McKiernan and his wife Shelley of Holden, Francis X. McKiernan and his wife Mary of Worcester, and two sisters, Eileen F. Bagley of Boston, and Mary E. McKiernan of Sutton. The McKiernans were prominently featured in local news reports after surviving the destruction of their home in the devastating 1953 Worcester tornado.

She graduated from St. Stephen's Central Catholic High School in 1956 and from the St. Vincent Hospital School of Nursing in 1959. She earned a bachelor's degree in health studies from Anna Maria College in 1979.

Mrs. Murphy began her nursing career at St. Vincent Hospital, where she worked from 1959 to 1975 as a surgical scrub nurse and as a charge and staff nurse in the emergency ward. She later worked in the emergency department at Memorial Hospital before joining the Worcester County Jail under a grant-funded initiative to develop a medical program within the penal system.

Barbara was known for her warmth and hospitality. For more than 50 years, she and her husband, Jim, hosted spirited Christmas Eve gatherings at their home in Worcester. The couple traveled extensively and spent joy-filled summers at their home on Cape Cod. They had a wide circle of friends. Barbara was a devoted daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, and friend. She is greatly missed by everyone who loved her.

Mrs. Murphy is survived by her three sons, James F. Murphy Jr. of Worcester, Christopher K. Murphy and his wife Gigi of Germantown, Md., and Jonathan P. Murphy and his wife Colleen Quinn of Brooklyn, N.Y.; six grandchildren, Lauren Murphy and her husband Owen Tindle of Boston, Katherine Clark and her husband Thomas of Brooklyn, N.Y., John Murphy of St. Petersburg, Fla., Alison Murphy of Boston, Caroline Murphy of Columbia, S.C., and Quentin Murphy of Osterville; a great-grandson, Penn Clark; nieces, nephews, cousins, and many close friends.

Calling hours are Monday, January 19, from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Athy Memorial Home, 111 Lancaster St., Worcester. The funeral will be Tuesday, January 20, from the funeral home with a Mass at 10 a.m. in Our Lady of the Rosary Church, 25 Fales St., Worcester. Burial will be in St. John Cemetery, Worcester.

Barbara often said she wanted her legacy to be simple: that she tried to help people who needed help. Donations are suggested to Worcester County Food Bank, 474 Boston Turnpike, Shrewsbury, MA 01545 and The Salvation Army of Worcester, 640 Main St., Worcester, MA 01608.