Beatrice Adele Murphy Boland

April 21, 1917 - June 20, 2019

Beatrice Adele Murphy Boland, a kind and loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, sister, cousin and friend, passed away at her Burlingame home on June 20th, surrounded by family. She is now reunited with her beloved husband Tom, her sweet daughter Cici, her adored mother Catherine, and her dear relatives and friends.

Bea, a proud Irish San Franciscan, grew up near the Panhandle in the Haight. She was the daughter of Catherine Gorham and Charles Murphy and the sister of the late Alice Murphy, Ruth Pisani, Kathryn Hauser and Charles, Joseph and John Murphy.

Bea is survived by her children Maureen, Michael (Ann), Teresa (Jim Brogan), Patrick (Christine) and son-in-law Michael Walsh. Also survived by grandchildren Bridget Walsh Genis (Mark), Mary Beatrice Boland, Molly Walsh, William and Katherine Brogan, Thomas and Julia Boland, great-grandchildren Emma and Ryan Genis, cherished Murphy nieces and nephews and Knutsen, Solon and Gaul cousins. She was predeceased by her daughter Cecilia Boland Walsh.

In 1934, in the midst of the depression, she graduated from Polytechnic High School. She continued her education at secretarial school and shortly thereafter started at Western Union where her skills supported the war effort. After the war, she met and married Thomas Boland and moved to the San Mateo-Burlingame area where she and Tom raised five children, their proudest accomplishment.

Bea possessed tremendous faith which was nurtured through her involvement at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Burlingame. As her children entered St. Catherine’s School, Bea became an active part of her children’s lives serving as room mother, Girl Scout leader, Boy Scout leader, yard duty parent and driver for countless field trips. While at St. Catherine’s, she and Tom joined the Christian Family Movement (CFM) established by Father Peter Sammon. The group was aimed at promoting family, friendship, and having a wonderful time. It had a major impact on the Boland family and fostered lifelong friendships for Bea and Tom which led to some members later forming SPOWOC.

Bea led a life focused on social justice, ranging from protecting Vietnam anti-war protestors at the Newman Center at SF State to boycotting grocery stores in support of Cesar Chavez’s UFW union to protesting in support of improved sanitary conditions for San Francisco residents. She followed her friend Father Sammon to work at St. Teresa’s Church on Potrero Hill where she met her dear friends Sister Lucia Lodolo, Sister Kathleen Healy, and Judy Warnock. The joy and satisfaction she felt from her work there enabled her to continue to work until age 80. She maintained her involvement with the parish’s St. Vincent de Paul Society for many years after her retirement. A woman of grace and beauty, both inside and out, she was never caught without her signature earrings and red lipstick. Whether hosting a dinner party or working in the garden, she was always elegantly dressed. Bea loved to read, go antiquing, listen to classical music, attend lectures and the theater, and travel with her family. At 100 years old she would recite lyrics from poetry she memorized as a child.

The family gives special thanks to all her wonderful caregivers – Gloria Digno, Perla Meyer, Ana Maria Chacon, Josie Aquino, and the staff from Mission Hospice, Chris Brady, Lena Driscoll, Michele Cronin, Victoria Tuason, How Cheng and Rachel Rosenberg. Their kindness and loving attention will never be forgotten.

A Memorial Mass celebrating her life will be on Saturday, June 29th at 11 a.m. at St. Catherine of Siena Church, 1310 Bayswater Avenue, Burlingame. Reception to follow at Poplar Creek Golf Course, 1700 Coyote Point Drive, San Mateo.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the St. Vincent de Paul Society, St. Teresa’s Conference, 390 Missouri St., SF, CA 94107, Mission Hospice or a favorite charity.