Maureen M. Murphy, 72, Was Active in Civic Work

Maureen Mahoney Murphy, 72, died on Tuesday, March 9, at her home in West Tisbury in the company of her family.

She was born and raised in Mattapoisett and was graduated from Fairhaven High School, where she was valedictorian of her class, class secretary and head cheerleader. She attended Bennington College but left after her freshman year to marry. After raising her four children, she received a B.A. in psychology from Southern Connecticut State University.

A longtime resident of Milford, Conn., she was actively involved in community affairs during her child raising years, serving on the Milford library board and the Democratic town committee, acting as president of the child guidance clinic and president of the cooperative nursery school and participating in the school library program and League of Women Voters.

Later, she worked for Yale University as the associate director of community relations and, then, as the director of community relations and development for the Milford Mental Health Clinic, now known as Bridges.

She retired to Martha's Vineyard in 2000 with her husband and shortly thereafter founded the Vineyard Volunteers, an organization to connect potential volunteers to existing agencies.

An avid reader, she was proud of her efforts to spearhead the building of a new public library in Milford, Conn., an effort that culminated in her being named Citizen of the Year. In keeping with her lifelong dedication to "people caring about people," she was an advocate for services for the mentally ill and worked to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. She was, however, most of all dedicated to her family, especially her beloved husband from whom she was inseparable for more than 52 years of marriage. After retiring to Martha's Vineyard where her husband grew up and where they had previously spent all their summer holidays, she cherished visits from her children and grandchildren, who adored her. The highlight of every summer was a family reunion on the Island when all the family gathered for cookouts, trips to South Beach and rooting for the growing contingent participating in the Chilmark Road Race.

She loved reading, playing tennis, yoga classes, the theatre, nature walks and listening to music.

She is survived by her husband of 52 years, Stephen Garth Murphy. She is also survived by her four children and eight grandchildren: Stephen G. Murphy Jr., his wife, Carolyn, and their children, Matthew and Maura, of Guilford, Conn.; Sarah Murphy, her husband, Greg Barron, and their children, Theodore, William, Stephanie and Katherine, of London, England; Theodore, his wife, Ann Ducharme, and their children, Theodore and Julia of Cincinnati, Ohio, and David Murphy of Milford, Conn.

She is also survived by her brothers, Robert Mahoney of Springfield, Mich., and Daniel Mahoney of Mattapoisett. She was predeceased by her brother, Dennis Mahoney.

Her funeral service will be held in the First Congregational Church of West Tisbury at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 14, with interment to follow in the West Tisbury Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the West Tisbury Public Library or Bridges at Bridgeport avenue, Milford, Conn. Arrangements are by the Chapman, Cole and Gleason Funeral Home in Oak Bluffs.