Ed Murtagh

Edward Joseph, 96, passed away peacefully at his home in Westwood on Sunday October 23, 2022. Born in Manhattan, NY he was the middle child of Michael and Bridget Murtagh. He referred to his home in the Bronx on Heath Ave as “2880,” as this was the address. It was a 3 story row house with the third floor being rented to students at Fordham University. His family owned a small bungalow in Croton on the Hudson, they spent their summers there. Ed was a great story teller of things they did growing up in the Bronx and Croton. His older brother, Charlie, always brought him everywhere and their younger sister, Charlotte, was with their Mom or “her girlfriends.” They all took Irish step dancing lessons and learned an instrument, from the Fordham boarders as they grew up. He went to grammar school at St John’s in Kingsbridge and St Simon Stock for High School. He worked as a copy boy for the times as a teenager.

Ed and his best friend Tom decided to enlist in the army as soon as they turned 18, he joined the Air Corp and trained as a tail gunner. However, when the “team” came together the speri ball gunners, 6’2” looked down at Ed, as he was about 5’4” and told him, “you’re going down below!”

After WWII he used the GI bill to go to Iona college and eventually earned a law degree, passed the bar and started work in an Insurance company. He also worked at Western Union and then GPU until he retired in his 70’s.

Ed loved being with his family and friends! He met the love of his life, Julia Higgins at a wedding and when they got married in May of 1960. They left their apartment and moved to Hazlet, NJ where several Bronx friends had moved to. They kept their Bronx connection even moving up to Westwood with their friends living in Emerson. As mentioned, he was a great story teller. They adopted 2 children, Edward Michael in 1965 and Mary Claire in 1966, who Dad adored and entertain with stories of “his friend,” the Shah of Sharoo, stories of leprechauns, Sean McGlory and sleigh riding down the street stairs by his house. They always got together with their friends and family, summers vacationing down the shore and the Adirondacks with nieces and nephews in tow, along with their own children and his mother or father in laws.

Ed was an avid reader, loving books about law and things of that nature. When he and his wife retired they became snow birds. Going to Venice, Fla for a month, which eventually became 3 1/2 months! They traveled with a group of friends from St Andrews, of which he was a big part of. He taught CCD and was on several committees. He also was on the town planning board.

Ed lived life well and always had a kind word for everyone. To know him, was to love him. To end, I finish with what he said to everyone when they left: “Good bye, Good luck and God bless you!”

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Freshair.org or Nationalparks.org