Patricia Mary Murphy

Patricia Mary Murphy, 85, of Edison, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, February 23, 2026, at JFK Medical Center in Edison.

She was born Patricia Mary Fullam on August 13,1940 in Brooklyn, New York, to John Fullam and Alice (Honahan) Fullam. She grew up in Brooklyn and graduated from St. Joseph's High School where as a senior business major, she excelled in full dictation, stenography and typing and was selected for a work-study program at New York Telephone, which led to a full time position after graduation. Developing additional office skills, she progressed on to the investment firm Spencer Trask & Co. in Manhattan as a private secretary. It was early in 1960 that she met the love of her life Walter Murphy while out ballroom dancing with her friends. After refusing an unsolicited request to dance, multiple times, she finally relented and that chance meeting began their love affair and led to their marriage in May of 1961. The following March their first daughter was born and Patricia's business career ended with her new role as a full time Mother. In 1974, after residing in Queens and Brooklyn, their family, now with two young daughters Cecilia and Laura, moved to the suburbs of Edison, where she lived out the rest of her life.

Having raised two daughters with her husband, Patricia decided it was time to go back to school and earned her Bachelors of Science, with High Honors, from Rutgers University, which relaunched her business career as a Tax Accountant with Puerto Rico Marine Management and later, Phillips Van Heusen, where she eventually retired. Known for her cheerful and gregarious nature, Patricia was the matriarch and heart of her family and was adored by her loved ones who affectionately called her "Mom-Mom." She was exceptionally well-read, possessing a sharp intellect that allowed her to converse on many topics. An avid explorer, she and her husband Walter traveled the world together to far off places including Poland, Israel, Dubai, Turkey, Russia, China and throughout western Europe, as well as dozens of cruises to the Caribbean, South America and even to Alaska. She maintained that same adventurous spirit throughout her active retirement, albeit closer to home, and especially enjoyed the lights and excitement of Atlantic City and the ocean and beaches there and in Cape May and Wildwood.

A woman of deep faith and love for the Lord, Patricia was a lifelong devoted Catholic and a communicant of the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi in Metuchen. She generously volunteered for more than 10 years in the Pontifical Mission Societies office for the Diocese of Metuchen, where her work helped touch the lives of tens of thousands of people, mostly in poor missionary countries throughout the world. That same generosity was apparent in the love and care she shared with her family and friends.

Patricia was predeceased by her husband of 54 years, Walter T. Murphy who passed in 2015; her sister Kathy Giacomini, and brothers Thomas Fullam and John Fullam.

Surviving are her daughters, Cecilia Isbitski and her husband Wayne of Pittstown and Laura Babar and her husband Zaheer of Cranbury; seven grandchildren, Ian, Megan, Sean, Conner, Corey, Zachary, and Chad; her sister Maureen Fullam of New York City; her loving friend and companion Stephen Dudeck of Metuchen, as well as many nieces, nephews and a wide circle of friends.

The Funeral for Patricia will take place on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at 9:45am at Costello-Runyon Funeral Home, 568 Middlesex Ave., Metuchen, immediately followed by a 10:15am Funeral Mass at the Cathedral of St. Francis Assisi, 32 Elm Ave, Metuchen.

Visitation hours will be held at the funeral home Tuesday evening, March 3rd,from 4:00pm to 8:00pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations be made in Patricia's memory to "Pontifical Mission Societies" and mailed to P.O. Box 191 Metuchen, NJ 08840-0191, to help carry on the work she cared so deeply about.