Obituary of Marguerite J. Murphy

Marguerite (Peggy) Josephine (Donnelly) Murphy, in her 100th year, of Duxbury, MA and Brookline, MA, peacefully passed away on February 7th after living her very best life. Born in Brookline, MA on April 15th,1921. Loving and devoted wife of forty years of the late Lawrence Theodore Murphy and, later in life, wife of five years of the late George Keyho. Beloved and adored Mother of Janice Murphy Linehan of Duxbury and the late Judith Marie Dunne. Mother-in-law of the late Brian C. Linehan of Duxbury.  Grandmother of five. Great-grandmother of three. Adored, cherished and greatly respected by grand-daughters Meaghan Linehan Grimes of Maine and her husband Judd Grimes and Cara Linehan Esch of Scituate and and her husband Thomas Esch. Peggy was especially loved by and devoted to her two great-grandsons, Riley Teel Linehan Grimes and Emerson Gates Esch and her great-granddaughter, Caoimhe Marion Linehan Grimes. Peggy was also grandmother to Judy’s three children; Garrett, Lauren and Caitlin. Peggy was the daughter of the late Edward J. and Nellie J. Donnelly of Brookline and Duxbury, to whom she was lovingly devoted. She was the sister of the late Marion F. Martin of Los Angeles and Duxbury, the late Edward J. Donnelly, Jr. of Brookline and Kingston, and the late Dorothea Tessier of West Roxbury and Duxbury and a caring aunt to many nieces and nephews. 

Professionally, Peggy enjoyed a fascinating thirty-six year career as an administrative assistant at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Brandegee House, Brookline and The Academy House at Norton Woods, Cambridge, MA. After retirement she was an administrative assistant at the Duxbury Senior Center for twelve years and enjoyed many political elections working for the Duxbury election commission at the polls.  She retired at the age of 92 and retired her blue Jeep the same year.  A well known sight in Duxbury!  A truly beautiful person and a loyal family member who always put her family first and cared for many family members, at all ages.  Peggy never asked for a thing in return, except for peace. Her personality was gracious, loving and faithful, a beautiful, kind and gentle soul and with an industrious, fun loving, brave, adventuresome and positive outlook on life. Peggy’s family would like to thank the staff and friends at Newfield House in Plymouth for the best of care and compassion for Peggy and her family. Please plant a pink rose bush and/or a hydrangea in your favorite location in Peggy’s memory, and smile and think of her every time you look at them and how she always did her best to make the world a better and more beautiful place. She will be forever loved and missed, and she would have loved professionally proofreading this notice.

Donations in Peggy’s memory may be made to the Friends of the Duxbury Council on Aging, c/o Duxbury Senior Center, Ten Mayflower St., Duxbury, MA 02332, Designation: The Peggy Murphy Reading Garden.

Private services will be held at St Lawrence’s Church and Holyhood Cemetery, Chestnut Hill, MA