Tribute to Uncle Jack

John “Jack” Atkins Murphy was born on March 26, 1928.  He was the youngest of five boys born to Dr. Joseph and Ruth (Gough) Murphy.  He was educated at St. Mary’s and Coyle High and Graduated Tabor Academy in 1946.

 Jack served in the US Army during WWII.  He received his associate’s degree in business at Boston University class of 1950.  He retired from the Division of Employment Security for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in Boston and Worcester.

Jack was a life member of the United States Power Squadrons a nationwide, recreational and educational boating organization. He originally joined in 1957. Jack was a past commander of the local Taunton River Sail and Power Squadron and was currently serving as treasurer. He had also served as the treasurer of USPS District 14 which covers the squadrons in southeastern New England. For his dedication and extraordinary work on behalf of the squadron and USPS, Jack was inducted into the Royal Order of Pilot Fish, an independent organization in District 14. Jack took and passed all the courses offered by USPS thus becoming a Senior Navigator. This allowed him to become a member of the Boston Navigators Club, a New England organization. Jack loved his sailboat “Calico”, had many stories and was proud of the fact that he was a “rag bagger” and not a “stink potter”. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, Taunton Lodge of Elks, Taunton Redevelopment Authority, Battleship Cove Yacht Club and Tabor Academy Alumni.

Jack married Norma Riva on June 3rd 1950 with a reception at the Gondola in Taunton.  Jack and Norma were married for 62 years before she passed in October of 2012. They had three girls Sharon, Diane and Jacqueline and 6 grandchildren Micheal, James, Erin, Christina, Christopher and Ian.

 

When I started my genealogy project I had many correspondence with Uncle Jack. One of my favorite email from him was on Christmas Day where he said this:

Merry Christmas Jessica (2013),

 

After coming home from Saint Mary’s Church where I sat in my customary pew under Great Grandfather’s window, I began to think about family and opened your blog on my computer.  It was a humbling experience thinking of the accomplishments of those past and of those still with us.  You have done a wonderful job of research and presentation.  While I followed through reading of both sides of your ancestry I had a few laughs, a few memories, and a few tears.  It is remarkable  what those before us endured and what they accomplished under adverse conditions.  Your work shows the same spirit as did your ancestors.

 

Each time I begin to get a bit proud of where I come from. I recall the joke about an English man applying for a job at an American bank.  The bank wrote for references from the English bank which replied with a glowing story of the young man’s family.  He was related to Lord Uppingham and a distant relative to the Queen.  The American bank wrote back “We are not planning to use him for breeding purposes, how was his work?”

 

With that, Happy New Year.

 

My Plan:  I shall live to be 105 years old and then be shot by a jealous

husband.                                      

You will be missed by all who knew you Uncle Jack! As you have said to me in emails past.  Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional.