Salem—Francis Joseph Murphy (91), of Salem, Massachusetts, died early in the evening of Wednesday April 9, just as he wished: in his own home, with family and friends at his bedside.

Frank Murphy was born on July 19, 1933, in Peabody, Massachusetts, to Louise (Brophy) Murphy and Francis James Murphy. He attended Salem public schools and Salem High School, from which he graduated in 1951. He then took classes at Merrimack College, and subsequently matriculated at Boston University, from which he graduated in 1953.

After college, Frank went to work for Murphy Funeral Home in Salem, which had been founded by his grandfather Patrick W. Murphy and was then owned and operated by his father. Duty and adventure called, however, and he soon enlisted in the U.S. Navy and spent two years at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida. Upon his return to Salem from the Navy, he became a full-time funeral director and, recreationally, pursued a certification in the new sport of scuba diving.

Waterborne pursuits were a lifelong passion for Frank. He had perfected his powerboat-operating skills in the 1950s when his father owned a succession of boats beginning when Frank was in his late teens, and Frank was assigned the task of maintaining and operating them—an endeavor he embraced with enthusiasm. Frank was ever-vigilant in his boat operation, and throughout his long career on the water assisted uncounted stranded mariners. He joined the Boston Yacht Club in Marblehead as a young adult and, save for a brief break when his children were very young, was a member there until the end of his life. At the time of his death, he was the club's longest-tenured member.

After his Navy time, Frank worked unceasingly as a funeral director for four years. In need of a vacation and with the encouragement of friends, he packed up his scuba gear and boarded a ship for a cruise to Bermuda in the early spring of 1961. The scuba gear, he later recalled, never came out of the bag. It was a life-changing trip.

While boarding, he recalls encountering "a beautiful girl in a pink suit making her way to the ship." He felt a profound and immediate connection and, later, as the ship backed away from Commonwealth Pier in Boston, the lounge came to life and the woman in pink was there. Mustering his courage, he approached her. He asked her to dance. She accepted. They courted for three months and were married for more than five decades.

That first meeting was on April 9, 1961. Frank and Pamela were married on September 9 the same year. On June 9 the following year, they welcomed their first son, and over the next seven years they had two more sons. They raised their family in Salem, spending countless hours on the waters near Salem and Marblehead in summer, and taking family winter vacations around New England, and in Florida, Michigan, and Bermuda. Upon retirement and with their children grown, Frank and Pam began cruising the Intracoastal Waterway each winter in their own powerboat—a two-month trip beginning in Marblehead and ending in Vero Beach, Florida, where they would moor their boat, plant an herb garden on deck in a container, and become ensconced in the local community. After a decade of this, they sold the boat and bought a house in Vero Beach, where they enjoyed more gardening space and many more fine winters hosting visits with friends, children, and grandchildren.

Upon Pam's death in December 2017, Frank moved year-round back to his home in Salem, where he bravely and resolutely maintained his independence and close circle of friends for seven years. He also enjoyed extended visits with his son, Patrick and family, in southern California, and with his son, Matthew, and family in midcoast Maine. Salem, however, was his home, and he died there exactly 64 years, to the day, after his first meeting with Pam.

Widely remembered as a skilled and compassionate funeral director who served generations of families from Salem and the surrounding area, Frank made friends wherever he went. He was deeply curious about, and warm toward, every person he met, and had a ready, genuine, and magnetic laugh.

Frank was predeceased by his wife, Pamela, his son Francis, and his sister, Mary Landergan. He is survived by his son Frank's wife, Maura, of Salem, and their children Kaela (Murphy) Thomas and her husband, Blake, Francis John Jr. and his wife, Sydney, and Catherine; his son Matthew and his wife, Holly, of Penobscot, Maine, and their children Linus, Odin, and Louise; and his son Patrick and his wife, Stephanie of Azusa, California, and their children Ciara and Roan. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews, and one great-granddaughter, Magnolia—and another great-grandchild arriving presently.

A funeral mass will be held on Wednesday April 16, 2025, beginning at 10:00 AM at the Immaculate Conception Church, located at 15 Hawthorne Blvd. Salem, MA 01970. Burial will take place following at St. Mary's Cemetery, 226 North St. Salem, MA. Visiting hours will be held on Tuesday April 15, 2025, from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Murphy Funeral Home, located at 85 Federal St. Salem, MA 01970. For more information and an online guestbook, please visit www.MurphyFuneralHome.com or call 978-744-0497.