Obituary
Alban peacefully reached his last train stop at home in Harbour Main on June 1, 2021, at 86 years of age. Leaving to mourn this loss are Mary, his wife of 63 years; his children Maria (Fred) Woodford, Joe (Catherine), Paul (Shirley), Rosalie (Richard) Healey, Gerri, James, and Georgina (Rod) Bursey; his beloved grandchildren Alicia, Lori, Michael, Ryan, Kristina, Suzannah, Victoria, Stephen, Sarah, Nathan, Mitchell, Gillian, Maggie and Lucas; and great-grandchildren Joseph, Jack, Ella, Maya, Noah, Bridget and Leland; brother Tom (Phyllis); his Gushue family, nieces, nephews, and many treasured family and friends. He was the son of the late James and Anne Murphy (Duff) and is predeceased by his sisters Genevieve March (Marty), Bernadine (Bun) Bell (George), Mary Furstenburg (Joe), Sheila Garrett (Don), Pauline Kennedy (Ned), Gerry Kuhn (Bernie), and Vera Joy (Pat). Alban was a true family man, and he enjoyed the love of many “families” throughout his lifetime. He and Mary raised seven children together, so meal times in particular have always been interesting events! He was so proud of each of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren and loved to share stories of their visits, adventures and accomplishments to just about anyone who would listen.
His second family was his co-workers at CN Railway where he worked for 35 years. He frequently told stories about the people with whom he worked and could recite details such as their family’s names, where they lived, who their parents were, and of course, the family connections between them. He was never stumped when we’d share that one of our friends had a parent or relative who worked with the Railway, and he loved to make the connections with a story or two. He and Mary enjoyed adventures with the CN Pensioners Group, and just a few months ago, thoroughly enjoyed a surprise telephone call from one of his past colleagues. It was one of those conversations where no matter the number of years in between, they just picked up where they left off.
He also cherished his Harbour Main and Sts. Peter and Paul Parish family and worked for many years as Chair of the Cemetery Committee. Together, the Committee created a beautiful resting place overlooking the ocean. Alban’s faith and participation in the Church and community were very important to him, and certainly impacted how he chose to live his life. A special thanks to George Dalton for his visits over the years to keep Dad updated on changes to the cemetery records – he so loved your conversations.
Alban was someone who connected with people wherever he went and loved a good joke or bit of fun. Following retirement, he and Mary thoroughly enjoyed several winters in Florida, which was surprising at first because he loved to be home! We discovered the reason was the family they created at Starlight Towers which included the new friends he and Mary made “from away”, and the many people from “home” they probably saw more often when they were there. He loved his shuffleboard, and Friday evenings going to Woody’s for Happy Hour and then for Chinese food. Much like their family at home, they enjoyed the support and company of their Florida family. At home in recent years, Alban enjoyed his years of playing cards with his Conception Harbour family; a nightly ritual of watching Murder She Wrote and Jeopardy; and celebrating the many birthdays and special events that come from having a large family. He and Mary often joined their children on day and weekend travels which took in some beautiful Newfoundland scenery and prompted a few stories of past family vacations and railway stories. He also loved when these travels happened to include a visit to a local brewery where he could have a beer, a bite to eat, and of course, a chat!
A special thank you to Dr. Russ Lake for his many years of dedicated medical care, and Carol Ann and the staff at The Dispensary Ltd.
Visitation will be in keeping with COVID-19 Regulations and will take place at Dunphy’s Funeral Home, Holyrood, on Wednesday, June 2, 2021 from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm.
The funeral service will be by invitation only due to COVID-19 restrictions. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Harbour Main on Thursday, June 3 at 10:30 am with cremation to follow. For those unable to attend, the funeral mass will be livestreamed with the link available below.
Given COVID restrictions, interment will take place at a later date when family are able to travel home.
In lieu of flowers, donations are gratefully accepted to the Sts. Peter & Paul Cemetery or Parish funds, the Railway Coastal Museum, or a charity of your choice.
Sts. Peter & Paul Parish:
Email (etransfer accepted): stspandp@eastlink.ca
Mailing Address: 85 Harbour Drive Harbour Main, NL A0A 2P0
Railway Coastal Museum:
Website: www.railwaycoastalmuseum.com/
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Alban Joseph Murphy, please visit our floral store.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Alban Joseph Murphy 2021..
Death notice for the town of: Holyrood, Province: T-N