Daniel L. Murphy

Daniel L. Murphy, 83, of Hollis, New Hampshire, passed away peacefully on January 30, 2026. His son, daughter-in-law, grandsons and several close friends were able to spend much time with him in the final years of his life.

Dan was born on January 12, 1943, in Oak Park, IL; the youngest son of the late Earl and Harriet (Parker) Murphy. He grew up in Detroit, MI, where he developed enthusiasm for electronics, radio broadcasting, church and theater organs, and playing music. Starting in the mid-1950s, he developed his radio persona along with his best friend, Bob Pratt, as they experimented with in-home broadcasts. He also learned to play piano and organ and performed as the understudy for the Westminster Church organist as a teenager.

Competitively selected to attend Cass Technical High School, Dan graduated in the Class of 1961 and earned admission to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, matriculating to the Class of 1965. As a student, Dan achieved two major milestones: first, he was introduced to early computers and authored his first program, titled TECO, in 1962. This was the first individual character text editor software ever written. Second, he met a beautiful girl and fellow student: Sara (Sally) Regina Werner. The couple met in 1964 and began a lifelong loving relationship in May 1965.

Shortly after graduation, Dan hired on with Bolt Beranek & Newman (BBN) in Cambridge, MA, where he began a long and highly distinguished career as a computer software developer and consulting engineer. His early work included invention of several operating systems and internet technologies which are common today: sending the first network message (e-mail) in 1971 and authoring source code for the ARPANET (forerunner of the internet) in 1973.

Following BBN, Dan hired-on with Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), continuing his development work on projects such as TENEX and VMS for over 20 years. With DEC's failure imminent, Dan transitioned his career to several successful technology startups, including EMC² and Open Software Foundation (OSF), finally retiring from full-time work in 2009. He didn't stop programming, however, and his "corner of the internet," opost.com is a robust repository of his work.

Dan's interest in radio took a big upswing in the mid-1970s. An opportunity arose in 1976 to purchase WCAS AM 740 in Cambridge, MA. Upon purchasing the station, Dan served as general manager and part-time disk jockey, providing the Cambridge market with "250 glorious watts" of programming. He continued to manage this endeavor until 1981, when market dynamics led him to leave ownership in the commercial radio business.

However, his broadcasting work didn't cease. Throughout the 1980s, he periodically did folk and acoustic programming on a multitude of different radio stations in the greater Boston area. This work included a stint as the host of The Folk Show on New Hampshire Public Radio from 1990 to 1996, reaching a large swath of enthusiastic local listeners. A prolific songwriter, Dan also released an album of self-work titled The Outpost and Other Odd Places. Merging his interests, his computer and broadcasting talents culminated in his invention of outpostradio.com in 2009, which streams over 10 separate, hand-crafted programs to listeners worldwide.

Turning to his true love, Dan married Sally in 1967 and had 56 wonderful years of marriage until her tragic passing in 2023. Their interests went beyond their common work in computers. As enthusiasts of musicals, they frequented the Boston theater scene for 50+ years, with favorites such as Fiddler on the Roof and Ragtime. They even dabbled in community theater together, performing together on stage in Arlington, MA. In more recent years, they took many beach vacations, both enjoying warm weather and long contemplative walks together.

Finally, Dan's spiritual journey led him to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashua where he became a member in 1991, and was fully engaged in the community, performing on the organ and with multiple musical groups. Furthermore, with Sara, he became deeply involved with the Human Awareness Institute in 1992, participating in and leading a myriad of soul-healing workshops, helping to Create a World where Everyone wins. His friendships and deep bonds with these two communities enriched him late in his life.

Dan is survived by his son, Jordan Murphy and his wife April, and his beloved grandsons, Gabriel and Jacob. He is also survived by his niece Melinda Murphy and her wife Louise, nephews Gregg Murphy and his wife Amy, Patrick Murphy and his wife Cherie, as well as sisters-in-law Louise and Alyce Werner.

He was predeceased by his wife, Sara R. (Werner) Murphy, and his brother, Frederick Murphy.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashua, date and time to come.