Helen Duffy Murphy

Helen Duffy Murphy of Larsmont passed away April 20, 2011.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Helen Cox Duffy; father, Harry Duffy; father- and mother-in-law, Edward L. Murphy Sr. and May McGnnis Murphy; sister, Mary Bohlman; brothers-in-law, Richard G. Donovan Sr. , Joe Hines, Reiny Bohlman, Wimp, and Lucky.

She is survived by husband, Richard T. Murphy. Sr; children, Laurie Murphy, Richard T. Jr. (Kay), Patrick (Dawn Squillace), Sharon Murphy Garber (David Garber), Moe Murphy Aro (Brian Bernhardt) Myrna Lee Maurer; nine grandchildren, Gordon Bowers III, Alexandra, Tenner, Libby, and Madigan Murphy, and Josh, Ben and Tommy Garber, Bailey Murphy Aro; sister, Eileen Donovan; special friends, Virginia and Russ Tschida, Mary Bredenberg and Tommy Broneak.

Thanks to her beloved health care assistants Estella and Ellen, and faithful dogs Jack and Duffy.

Helen graduated from St. Paul Central High School and was a teller at Minnesota Federal. She was named Queen of the Snows at the 1947 St. Paul Winter Carnival.

The “proud Irish mom” raised five children. She was a baseball fan all her life, starting when she was a little girl at Lexington Park watching the St Paul Saints with her father. She was a devout Twins and Yankees fan.

She was a creative oil painter, outstanding golfer, and Como Zoo docent.

She attended daily Mass all her life and was an Altar and Rosary Society member at Nativity of Our Lord in St. Paul.

She was a lifelong member of the Guild of Catholic Women, founder of the Client Christmas Party, charity ball co-chair and philanthropy chair. She was a Kildysart Bridge Club member since 1972.

A pioneer in the St. Paul pro-life movement, she was a founding member of Citizen Community Action, Catholic Learning Society, SARPA, Catholic Parents, and Bobblehead Saints.

She was a big supporter of Catholic education, founding the Catholic Learning Society.

She was president and a lifelong member of the Former Queens Club, and hosted the Queens Tea for 35 years in her home. She was the Sal Labianco Volunteer of the Year Award iwnner for the carnival in 1989.

She also won a volunteer award from the American Council of Catholic Women and Catholic Defense League.

She commissioned and donated a bronze statue of St. Paul to Cathedral of St. Paul. She was a Lady of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre member.

She was an “avid” letters to the editor writer and loved the North Shore area.

There will be a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. May 14 at Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church (324 Prior Ave, St. Paul). Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. Friday, May 13, at O’Halloran and Murphy Funeral Home (575 S. Snelling Ave, Saint Paul, 651-698-0796). Memorials are preferred to her lifelong passion, supporting the mentally ill, through Guild Incorporated, Administrative Office, 130 S. Wabasha St. Suite 90, St. Paul, MN 55107.

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