Obituary of Eleanor Dawn Murphy

(Eleanor) Dawn Murphy (Vallis), formerly of Public Landing and Grand Bay-Westfield, left this world in a wonderfully fitting way on June 26, 2014 - surrounded by her family, and with her Kennebec family singing and dancing on the other side of her room. She was a devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, and is survived by her loving family: her children Bill (Joanne) of Dartmouth, NS; Wayne (Tanya) of Public Landing; Brenda (Linda Boyle) of Grand Bay-Westfield; and Shelley (Richard Zeuchner) of Saint John; her grandchildren Michael (Amanda), Peter, and Patrick Murphy; Matthew, Melissa, and Gabrielle Murphy; Erica Amirault; and Christopher, Fallon, and Fawn Zeuchner; her great-grandchildren Brandon Amirault, and Jacob and Sarah Murphy. Dawn is also survived by her brother David (Enid) Vallis of Naramata, BC. Born in Saint John on March 19, 1934, she was the daughter of William and Ethel Vallis. Dawn grew up in West Saint John, and moved as a teenager to Public Landing, where she met and married Gerald Joseph (Gerry) Murphy in 1955. Mom spent her life working with and for her community; she was part of the group who started the ambulance service in Grand Bay-Westfield, where she volunteered many hours both in administering the ambulance service and as a driver and attendant. Mom was a faithful and giving member of Westfield United Church for much of her adult life where she enjoyed singing in the choir, was a member of Session, the UCW, and a C.G.I.T leader. Her service to the community was recognized when she was awarded the Queen’s Jubilee medal. She will be remembered by many area children, as she drove a school bus for more than 25 years. Mom loved to sing, she loved to dance, she loved to laugh, and throughout her life, including her courageous battle with Alzheimer’s disease, she remained a positive and loving soul who brought joy to others. Mom also loved to swim and when she moved to Public Landing, she swam in the Saint John River every morning, often starting just after the May long weekend. She was an avid gardener, and you could often find her working in the flower or vegetable garden; many of the shrubs and perennials continue to thrive at the family home. Mom had a wonderful sense of humour and was a bit of a ham, which came out even more in her brief acting career with the Westfield Theater troupe. She will be greatly missed by many friends and especially her family. Resting at Castle Funeral Home, 309 Lancaster Ave. visitation will take place on Sunday, June 29, 2014 from 2-8pm. A Funeral service will be held on Monday, June 30, 2014 at 3:00pm from the Westfield United Church, 133 Nerepis Road. A reception will follow the service in the church hall. Interment will take place in Mount Hope Cemetery. Remembrances to the Kennebec Manor, or any charity of the donor's choice would be appreciated by the family. The family would like to thank the staff at Kennebec Manor who sang and danced with Mom and provided her with such loving care that made a huge difference in her life and was so comforting for our family.