Obituary of Thomas E. Murphy, Sr.

Thomas E. Murphy, Sr., of Rome, formerly of Maple Drive, passed away on Thursday, January 7, 2021, at the Terrace at Woodland from a heart attack caused by the stress of the COVID-19 restrictions. A lifelong resident he was born in Rome on October 24, 1928. Tom was a son of the late Edward and Mary (Dunn) Murphy. The family resided at 629 Floyd Ave for many years and were direct descendants of the founders of Annsville, NY. At the age of 15, he graduated in 1944 from St. Aloysius Academy and went on to Excelsior Accounting School. On October 1, 1955, he was united in marriage to Katherine Trachsel. Together they shared a blessed union of 56 years until her passing on October 3, 2011. Tom worked at Rome Tourney Radiator Co. for 59 years, starting there at 17 years old. He also worked at Vernon Downs from opening night in 1953 until it closed in 2004. He was deeply devoted to his religion serving for almost 40 years as an usher at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Rome and then at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Lee Center. Tom was a member Knights of Columbus Council 391 for over 70 years where he ran bingo for many years and was a Grand Knight. He was also a life member of the Rome Elks Lodge 91. Tom, the patriarch of the Murphy clan, loved to be with family and friends. He hosted many family gatherings where he loved to have a conversation, cook on the grill and play a good round of pitch. He had an amazing memory for facts and figures. He enjoyed traveling to visit family from one coast to the other. Tom is survived by two daughters and sons-in-law, Drs. Deborah and Richard Wilhelmy of Greensburgh PA and Lisa and Bryan McLachlan of Mt. Dora FL; a son, Thomas E. Murphy, Jr.; two sisters, Marie Marsden and Elizabeth (Ron) White; a brother, Raymond (Barbara) Murphy; four beloved grandchildren, Dr. Jacqueline Wilhelmy, Dr. Katherine (Ryan Nelson) Wilhelmy, Kayla (Matthew) Spawn and Connor (Megan) McLachlan; two cherished great-grandchildren, William and Danica Spawn; sisters-in-law, Mary Lou Murphy, Mary Murphy and Anne Murphy; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a sister& brother-in-law, Ann & Jim McKiernan; two brothers, Edward and Robert Murphy; and a brother-in-law Frank Marsden. Tom’s family would like to send sincere thanks to the entire staff at the Terrace at the Woodlands Assisted Living for the incredible job they did. The care and compassion they provided was amazing during such difficult times. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, January 16th at 1:00 p.m. at St. Peter’s Church, 200 N. James St., Rome. Interment will take place in Evergreen Cemetery in the spring. Family and friends are invited to call at Nunn and Harper Funeral Home, Inc.,418 N. George St., Rome, prior to Mass on Saturday, January 16th from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, a limited number of guests will be allowed to enter the funeral home at one time, everyone must wear a face covering upon entering and proper social distancing protocols must be adhered to once inside. In lieu of flowers, consider a donation in Tom’s memory to Friends of St. Mary’s of Florence, ℅ Oneida Savings Bank, 41 Harden Blvd, Camden NY 13316 or the American Heart Association.