Obituary of Edward J. Murphy

Edward J. Murphy, Ed.D., age 84, died peacefully at his home in Manhasset on January 3, 2015. He was a distinguished educator who served as a Superintendent of Schools on Long Island for over 30 years. He was Superintendent of Schools in Lynbrook from 1960 to 1967, in Syosset from 1967 through 1980, and District Superintendent of the BOCES III shared educational services district from 1980 until his retirement in 1992. At BOCES III he supervised the provision of both special education programs and vocational and career educational programs. Raised in the Bronx, Edward Murphy was the only child of Edward and Margaret Murphy. Emulating his mother, a public school teacher in the Bronx who also had served as an acting principal, he was determined to pursue a career in education. He graduated from Fordham University’s educational school in 1950, magna cum laude, and earned a doctorate in education from New York University in 1954 at age 24. Also at age 24, he became the principal of the West End Elementary School in Lynbrook. When he became Superintendent of Schools in Lynbrook he was the youngest Superintendent in the State of New York, just shy of his 30th birthday. He was a passionate educator and was active in professional organizations, becoming president of both the New York State School Superintendent’s Association and of the American Association of School Administrators. He had wit, charm and a commanding presence, handling challenging issues from school closings to sex education with grace and skill. He loved to travel, taking trips with his wife Gloria to many places during their marriage, including Italy, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Japan and China. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Gloria (née Suglia), and by his sister- and brothers-in-law, Joanne and Edwin Faber and Ferdinand DeLuca. He is also survived by four children and seven beloved grandchildren, Maddie, Nick, Emily, Lily, Peter, Helen and John. His son, Steven Murphy and his wife Annie live in London; his daughter Jeanne Murphy and her husband, Bill Oris, live in New York City; his daughter, Lois Murphy and her husband Ben Eisner, live in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania; and his son, Kevin Murphy and his wife Jill, live in Manhasset. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his honor to the NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, directed to the Educational Leadership Program and sent to the attention of: Barbara Kotlikoff Assistant Dean for Development and Alumni Relations Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development New York University 25 West 4th Street New York, New York 10012 (please specify in honor of Edward J. Murphy) Contributions may also be made by following this link: https://www.nyu.edu/giving/give-now/?cid=1000105, selecting “other” and specifying “NYU-Steinhardt: Educational Leadership Program in Honor of Edward J. Murphy”.