Leo J. Murphy

AUGUSTA – Leo J. Murphy, 95, died Friday, Sept. 22, 2023 at the Alfond Center for Health in Augusta after a brief illness.

He was born in Ft. Kent on Oct. 26, 1927, the son of the late James W. and Mary Z. (Robichaud) Murphy.

Mr. Murphy had been in Funeral Service for over 72 years. Leo graduated Cum Laude from McAllister College of Embalming in New York, N.Y., in 1948, passing his State Board of Funeral Service exam that year, one month before graduation.

He began his apprenticeship in funeral service in 1946 and has been in funeral service since that time. He served in the Maine State Army Guard during the 1940s and was discharged in 1947 after getting his “Greetings and Salutations” from Uncle Sam.

Prior to the purchase of Plummer Funeral Home, he had been employed by the J. Paul Kelleher Funeral Home and Bartholomew Kelleher in Millinocket for over 12 years, moving to Augusta in 1959 to accept employment at Plummer Funeral Home.

He was President of Plummer Funeral Home, Inc., which he had purchased on Oct. 15, 1962, from the Plummer family and later purchased the Amesbury-White Funeral Home in Gardiner from the Danforth family in June 1985, subsequently selling it to Richard Harmon in 2004. He then was the driving force to build another location in Windsor, which opened in the Spring of 2004.

Mr. Murphy was a communicant of St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church, served as a Lector and Organist at St. Mary’s for many years and had been a member of St. Mary’s Parish Council for several years, serving as its President in 1971-1972. He was active in St. Mary’s Home and School Association Fair, was active in the Minstrel and Variety Show (Bells are Ringing) at St Mary’s School.

He was a former member of St. Martin of Tours Council #680 Knights of Columbus of Millinocket where he served as Treasurer, District Deputy of District 11 and finally as Grand Knight during the period of 1957-1958. He was also a charter member of the Millinocket Columbian Home Association, having served as Treasurer and Director until 1959 when he moved to Augusta. He then transferred to Abnaki Council #334 – 3rd Degree Knights of Columbus and the Abnaki Assembly #346 – 4th Degree Knights of Columbus. He served for several years as Fraternal Chairman, receiving several awards. In 1970, he was awarded the Knight of the Year recognition. He was a member and Past Faithful Navigator of Abnaki Assembly #346, serving three terms in this capacity, and was instrumental in having the Honors of the 4th Degree bestowed on 176 new members in 1973 throughout the State of Maine.

He was a Charter member of the Augusta Columbian Association, Inc. and served as President for one year and as a director for several years. He was instrumental in spearheading the building of the Knights of Columbus Home in 1978 on Riverside Drive.

He was a Chief Counselor of St. Aloysius Gonzaga Circle Columbian Squires #1280 of Augusta for three years, from 1961 to 1963, under the leadership of the Rev. Fr. Frederick Dougherty, a pace setter in 1962 for the Augusta General Hospital building campaign.

Be it known that Plummer Funeral Home and other area funeral homes kept the “Free” Ambulance service until 1967.

Mr. Murphy was a member of the Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce, was a past Director and was Chairman of the Tourism Committee, he served on the committee for Gov. Kenneth M. Curtis’ Inaugural Ball in 1967, he was a member of the Maine Publicity Bureau, National Federation of Independent Business, a member and distinguished Past President and former Director of the Augusta Kiwanis Club, a Past President of the Past Presidents’ Club of the Augusta Kiwanis Club, a member of the Sportsman Alliance of Maine, the National Rifle Association, he was indeed a faithful member of the Maine Funeral Directors Association, where he served on their Disaster Response Team, the National Funeral Directors Association, was appointed to the Maine State Board of Funeral Service for four years, serving as Chairman in 1976 – 1977, and is a member of the Northeast Council of State Boards.

Many years ago, he was a member of the Board of Directors of the Kennebec Valley Y.M.C.A. serving on the House and Membership Committee, an associate member of the Kennebec Valley Underwriters Association and the National Association of Life Underwriters.

In 1979, Mr. Murphy received the Calumet Club’s “Outstanding Citizen” award, the highest award given for a non-member.

He was Liaison Officer for the Social Security and Veterans Benefits for the Maine Funeral Directors Assn., and a member of the Advisory Committee for the Veterans Memorial Cemetery as Fr. Leonard LeClair’s wishes of having a Funeral Director in their midst, serving 26 years in that capacity.

He was a patron member of the Augusta General Hospital Assn., a blood donor both in Millinocket and here in Augusta, was very active in Augusta North Little League Baseball and the Kennebec Valley Youth Hockey Assn. He was a Corporator of the Kennebec Savings Bank for several years.

He was made an Honorary member to the Windsor Volunteer Fire Department and was serving voluntarily in that position, because he felt that this was a very viable group of people who donated their time and effort for the town of Windsor and surrounding nearby towns who would need their assistance with a very capable Chief Arthur Strout and President Dennis Strout.

He was predeceased by his wife of 62 years, Leola (Thibodeau) Murphy; a daughter, Dorothy A. Smith; a grandson, Justin J. Ham; and 11 of his brothers and sisters. Mr. Murphy was the tenth of the 13 children of the Murphy family.

Leo is survived by his wife, Gisele A. (Cote) Beaulieu Murphy of Augusta; three sons, J. Patrick Murphy and his wife, Suzanne of Augusta, Timothy J. Murphy and his significant other, Cheryl Clark of Windsor, and L. Michael Murphy and his wife, Diana of Augusta, two daughters, Barbara J. Daigle and her husband, Robert of Auburn and Mary Kathryn Foye and her husband, Chad of Chelsea; 12 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren; a sister, Money McGibbon of Millinocket; Gisele’s children, Paul Beaulieu and his wife Marie of Skowhegan, Michelle Hilton and her husband Timothy of Davenport, Iowa, Peter Beaulieu of Augusta, Marc Beaulieu and his wife Sharen of Greenville, S.C. and Todd Beaulieu and his wife Amy of Bath; as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins.

The family would like to thank the staff at Granite Hill Estates for the loving care and attention to Dad these last few months, and to the nurses and staff of 3 West at the Alfond Center for Health for the care and compassion they showed to Dad and the family during his time in their care.

Relatives and friends may visit Tuesday, Sept. 26 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Plummer Funeral Home, 983 Ridge Rd., Windsor and Wednesday, Sept. 27 from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. at Plummer Funeral Home 16 Pleasant St., Augusta where members of Abnaki Assembly #346 4th Degree Knights of Columbus are asked to meet in Augusta at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday to prepare for the Posting of the Guard, Officers and members of Le Club Calumet are asked to meet in Augusta at 6 p.m. Wednesday to recite prayers for their departed member and members of Abnaki Council #334 3rd Degree Knights of Columbus are asked to meet in Augusta at 6:15 p.m. Wednesday to recite prayers for their departed member. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Thursday, Sept. 28 at 11 a.m. from St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church of St. Michael Parish, Western Avenue, Augusta. Burial will be in the family lot in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Winthrop Street, Augusta.

The funeral will be webcast from the Church at the following address: stmichaelmaine.org/live-stream-st-mary-church.

Condolences, stories and photos may be shared through the funeral home website at: http://www.plummerfh.com.

The family requests that donations in Leo’s memory

be made to:

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,

501 St. Jude Place,

Memphis, TN 38105