Please Remember Edward L. Murphy Jr. in Your Prayers

Edward L. Murphy Jr., a trustee emeritus of the university, died on Nov. 6, 2013, at the age of 97. Murphy was the father of Kevin Murphy '75 and grandfather of Meghan Brown '01 M.B.A. and Michael Monahan '93, '95.

A 1933 graduate of Cretin High School, Murphy was president and later chief executive officer of Murphy Motor Freight Lines Inc. He served on the St. Thomas Board of Trustees from 1964-1984, and also served on the boards of First National Bank of St. Paul, First Bank System (now US Bank), American Hoist and Derrick, J.L. Shiely Co., the Waldorf Paper Co., the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce and Twin Cities Rapid Transit Co. (now MTC).

Murphy and his late wife, Mercedes Shiely Murphy, were deeply involved in Catholic education throughout their lives. Both were active in Nativity Church, the Convent of the Visitation and Cretin-Derham Hall, where Edward received the Bishop Cretin Award in 1977. Edward (1965) and Mercedes (1968) also were inducted into the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, one of the highest Papal awards conferred on the laity by the Catholic Church.

Visitation was held 5-7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15, at O’Halloran & Murphy Funeral Home, and Mass of Christian Burial was at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, at Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Edward Murphy are preferred to Cretin-Derham Hall or the University of St. Thomas.