Joan Byrne Murphy

Joan Byrne Murphy, a longtime resident of Cos Cob, passed away on May 5, 2021. She was 92. Born in Brooklyn and raised in New Rochelle, she was the daughter of John T. and Katherine W. Byrne. She was a graduate of Chestnut Hill College, in Philadelphia. In 1951 she married the illustrator John Cullen Murphy, who passed away in 2004.

Mrs. Murphy was long involved in local schools and was an active proponent of women’s sports. She was deeply engaged in the process that resulted in the creation of the new Cos Cob Library; she was also a volunteer with Neighbor to Neighbor, distributing food and clothing to members of the Greenwich community, and a hospice volunteer through Greenwich Hospital. Mrs. Murphy was a member of the Millbrook Country Club for 67 years; she enjoyed golf and bridge. She was a lector at St. Catherine of Siena Church, in Riverside, and participated in Walking with Purpose.

Mrs. Murphy is survived by her eight children: Cullen Murphy (Anna Marie), of Boston; Mary Cullene Murphy, of Brookline, MA; Siobhan Grogan, of Oaxaca, Mexico; Byrne Sleeper (Cary), of Mamaroneck, NY; Finn Murphy, of Longmont, CO; Brendan Murphy (Kari), of Leesburg, VA; Cait Murphy, of New York City; and Meg Nash (Tim), of Webster Groves, MO. She is also survived by 19 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, May 10, 10:00 a.m. at St. Catherine of Siena Church, in Riverside. Those who wish to participate remotely may do so by viewing a livestream of Joan’s service via https://events.locallive.tv/events/52669. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Cos Cob Library (5 Sinawoy Road, Cos Cob) or Kids in Crisis (kidsincrisis.org).