Francis H. Murphy

West Newton – Mr. Francis H. Murphy, Sr., of West Newton, died Friday, October 23rd, 2015 at Maristhill Nursing Home in Waltham. He was 93.

Frank was born in Waltham on February 27, 1922, a son of the late Francis H. and Eleanor Marie (Alli) Murphy. After graduating from Waltham High School Frank served with the United States Army during World War II.

He began a lifelong career working for the Waltham News Tribune as a paper boy and worked his way up the ranks until becoming the paper's sports editor, a position he held until his retirement. Sports reporting and being a good journalist was a vocation for Frank and he was really good at it. There wasn't an athlete or a sporting event in the Waltham and Newton area that missed his attention since he began reporting regularly during the war years and beyond.

At the time that he retired Frank, along with his brother Tom Murphy who held the position of editor, were the longest tenured employees of the paper, a record never likely to be broken.

The husband of the late Geraldine V. (Cetrone) Murphy, he leaves his children, Francis H. Murphy, Jr. and his wife, Denise, of West Newton and Suzanne Crowley and her husband, James, of Tewksbury; his grandchildren, Lisa and Megan Crowley and Francis A. and Brittany Murphy; his sister, Barbara Belliveau of North Carolina, and his close friends, Salley Ann Oullette and Mary Rufo.

Frank was also the father of the late Donna E. Murphy-Pistacchio and a brother of the late Thomas, John, Edward and Patricia Murphy, Florence Morse, Frances McGovern and Lorraine Burns.

Family and friends will honor and remember Frank's life by gathering for calling hours in The Joyce Funeral Home, 245 Main Street (Rte. 20), Waltham on Wednesday, October 28th from 4 to 8 p.m. and again at 9 a.m. on Thursday morning before leaving in procession to Saint Bernard's Church, 1523 Washington Street, West Newton where his Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery, Waltham.

Memorial donations may be made to Maristhill Nursing Home, 66 Newton Street, Waltham, MA 02453.