Edward M. Murphy

March 02, 1949 - September 15, 2026

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Obituary for Edward M. Murphy

Edward (Ed) M. Murphy, 77, of Milton, MA, and Boca Raton, FL, passed away peacefully on September 15, surrounded by his loving family.

He was the beloved husband of Elena Richenburg and the loving father of Maura Murphy Lee and her husband, Harrison, of Lakeville; Michael and his wife, Kristy, of Melrose; and Matthew of Milton. He was also a cherished grandfather.

Born in Boston, Ed was the son of the late Francis and Alice Murphy. He was a longtime resident of Milton, a parishioner of St. Agatha’s Church, and spent his career in telecommunications—a field that suited his curiosity, problem-solving skills, and apparent inability to sit still for very long.

Ed began his telecommunications career at Telco Systems, where he built motherboards before eventually becoming a sales engineer, traveling throughout the United States. In the 1980s, he joined Teleport Communications Group (TCG) in Boston, where he helped build a fiber optic network throughout the city.

Retirement, however, was apparently not part of Ed’s immediate plans. After his time with TCG/AT&T, he started Murphy Financial in Milton in the early 2000s. Once he had that up and running, he decided it was time to get back to his roots and returned to telecommunications, working with Comcast, the Massachusetts Lottery, and Logan Airport.

Ed eventually agreed to fully retire around 2020, although those who knew him might argue that he simply changed locations. As he and Elena began spending more and more time in Florida, they eventually put down roots in Boca Raton. Ed loved Florida and truly came alive there. It became his favorite place to be, especially when he was enjoying it with Elena. The sunshine, warm weather, and life in Florida brought out a special happiness in him.

Ed will be remembered for his love of family, his kindness, his quick wit, his hardworking spirit, and the many lives he touched throughout his life. He was always ready for the next project, the next adventure, or simply a good time with the people he loved. He leaves behind a lifetime of memories, stories, and, of course, a few opinions that his family will continue to laugh about for years to come.

He will be deeply missed and forever loved by his family and friends.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Saint Agatha Church, 432 Adams Street, Milton, on Tuesday, September 22, at 10:30 AM. Family and friends are invited to attend. Visiting hours will be held at Dolan Funeral Home, 460 Granite Avenue, EAST MILTON SQUARE, on Monday, September 21, from 4:00–8:00 PM. Interment will be at Milton Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Edward’s memory may be sent to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or a charity of your choice.

Services

21 Sep

Visiting Hours

04:00 PM - 08:00 PM

Dolan Funeral Homes and Cremation Services - EAST MILTON SQUARE 460 Granite Avenue Milton, MA 02186 Get Directions »
22 Sep

Mass of Christian Burial

10:30 AM

Saint Agatha Church 432 Adams Street Milton, MA 02186 Get Directions »
22 Sep

Interment

11:30 AM

Milton Cemetery 211 Centre Street Milton, MA 02186 Get Directions »
by Obituary Assistant

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Condolences

  • October 06, 2026

    Daniel Kirshenbaum

    It was such a pleasure getting to know Ed. He always kept a positive attitude and was such a kind man. May his memory be a blessing.

  • September 22, 2026

    Caitlin O’Keefe Goodrich

    My deepest condolences. I will forever remember Ed's big goofy smile as he waved to us on the deck, and what a generous neighbor he was in buzzards bay. I have many fond memories of staying at the Murphy house as a kid! - Caitlin O'Keefe Goodrich

  • September 21, 2026

    Nora Carroll

    Our deepest condolences are with the Murphy family. May Edward rest in eternal peace and may God look after his family until we all meet again in heaven. -Nora Carroll

  • September 18, 2026

    Bob Bryan

    Ed was a hoot !!! I will also remember Ed & my Milton days !!! RIP my friend Bob Bryan

  • September 18, 2026

    Kaitlyn and Tim Colatosti

    Auntie Elena/The Murphy Family: Tim and I are so sorry for your loss. Ed was truly one of a kind, and so much fun to be around. We are so thankful for the memories we made with him, and he will be deeply missed. Sending love, strength, and comfort to the entire family during this incredibly difficult time.

  • September 17, 2026

    Son

    Great memory of my dad was when we where in Jamaica together farther and son only and he just disappeared one night for a bit and a search party was sent out to in the hotel to find him and was located just fine. Love you dad.

  • September 17, 2026

    David Allen

    Murph: My mentor and my friend. Too many memories - I laugh when I think about us driving through Prudential Tunnel filming our plan to build fiber optics to MCI. There are still plenty of TCB manholes in the streets of Boston and I will always remember "This is Ed Murphy and I have a kinked fiber!" You got me a plaque on the bar at Shroeder's at 10 High. I thought we damaged The QE II on our sailing day on The Pokket. I owe you so much in regards to my career. You made life fun and I am just going to miss being able to shoot the breeze with you. I love you Ed! "Davey"