Dr. Eugene Thomas Murphy Jr.

1954 - 2019
On August 7, 2019, Dr. Eugene T. Murphy, Jr., loving partner, father, and grandfather, passed away peacefully in his home with his family. Diagnosed with cancer in 2014, he was optimistic and brave throughout his illness.

Gene, known to his family as "Bud," was born on April 27, 1954 in New Milford, NJ to Eugene and Irene Murphy. He married Lea Cloud in 2015 and they lived very happily in Hoboken, NJ.

Gene received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and his doctorate in Anthropology from Columbia University. He was a lifelong educator and student of the world. In early adulthood he taught from pre-K to professional and ESL studies; he worked as a community organizer, shrimp boat cook, tugboat deckhand, writer, labor advocate, lifeguard, steelworker, field researcher in two continents, and many things in between. His career in academia began as a professor of Anthropology. His professional calling crystallized during his time as an administrator of the burgeoning global program at NYU, a position that wove his years in the field and in the classroom with his skills as a manager. His leadership there allowed for others to cultivate meaningful experiences in the world. Most recently he served as an Associate Vice President at Rutgers University.

The things Gene truly loved were wide-ranging and deep, underpinned by an insatiable curiosity about the world. He spent time appreciating languages, cooking risotto and paella, triumphantly completing crosswords with Lea, and making all matters of things with his hands and words. He was quietly stubborn, thoroughly invested in efficiency, and had a steel trap memory. Gene learned from his father that the essence of being a man was to use his mind and body to their fullest potential. His parents also taught him kindness, patience, and generosity and he shared these gifts freely with all he touched. Fascination with the world and its people infused everything from his professional pursuits to his travel itineraries and reading lists. He balanced his spirit as a wanderer by grounding himself to the earth through outdoor adventures. He was a master storyteller; his toasts and tributes were deeply crafted with meaning and light with wit. He recently told his daughter that as a parent he was a custodian of his children's grace and joy; this is the perspective that shaped his time with his family. In his words, becoming Grandpa to Rio deepened his understanding of being a human in the universe. Gene loved books, and reading to his young children and to Rio brought him great joy. Children's author Maurice Sendak captured Gene's spirit when he wrote: "I am in love with the world."

Gene was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife Lea, his daughter Anais (Ryan Cuppernull) and his grandson Rio, his son Eamon, and his daughter Maya. He is also survived by his four sisters, one brother, four nieces and six nephews, and many family members who loved him dearly and grew in his warmth.