One Of The Good Guys

 To the Editor:

He was a friend of mine, a good friend to many, and the best friend of his loving wife for 48 years. And although I don’t remember where we first met, I always knew where to find him. He was at daily Mass every weekday at 6:45 am, at Sunday Mass at 7:30 am, and on Saturdays; he slept in and went to 8 am.

Often, a group of us would have coffee together at Bagel Delight. He had a “Senior Coffee,” but in all the years we knew one-another, I never knew him to have a “Senior Moment.” It was there where he would educate us with his knowledge on such things as designing a gas turbine, amaze us with his stories of thousands of B-24 and glider flights and humble us with his ability to understand and accept those who had vastly different opinions. You see, he carried the message of Mass throughout the entire day. A constant example of self-giving, he would lend others the use of his truck, deliver Meals On Wheels, provide rides for others to the doctor or assist in delivering items, such as furniture, to Sister Theresa in Bridgeport.

And then, there was his workshop, encompassing nearly the entire basement and replete with all the required tools, where he would build some marvelous things. Several of them, elaborate jewelry boxes, I never saw until recently. The sides were raised panels of cherry with intricate scroll saw work; testimony to a craftsman with infinite patience. Recently, I came to a mental roadblock on a current project and immediately thought, “I’ll just call Joe and ask him.” But I can no longer call Joe Murphy because Joe, one of the good guys, is now gone. Joe made this world a better place in what he accomplished, those he loved and those he inspired.

Sincerely,

Mark Dennen

Old Green Road, Sandy Hook                          September 1, 2009