Marguerite "Marge" Mary Murphy

Charlotte - Marge, 85, passed away Saturday, February 23, 2019 at home. She was surrounded by family and in the care of Hospice. Marge lived on Staten Island, NY before moving to Charlotte in 1971 with her husband and family.

Born December 14, 1933 in Staten Island, NY, she was the daughter of the late Joseph Attridge and Helen Burns Attridge. She graduated from St. Peters High School on Staten Island. She loved spending time with her family. Dinners around the table in the evenings, homework before play, treat others well, and grades were never the goal as long as you did the best you could were just some of the family traditions and rules she instilled. Raising four active children Marge watched many baseball games, softball games, swim meets, diving meets and tennis matches. She cheered the wins and comforted the losses. All through you would hear: “You’re a Murphy, you’re tough and you can take it.”

When the grandchildren came along, she added soccer and Tae-kwon-do to the already long list and cheered even louder. She enjoyed watching swim and diving meets again as the enjoyment of sports came full circle.

Marge enjoyed being outdoors tremendously; she enjoyed working in her yard where she took pride in her garden and annual plantings. She loved the springtime in Charlotte when the dogwoods, red buds and azaleas were in full bloom. She took pride in her neighborhood. She helped create a fund to maintain the entryway to Queens Grant and spent many hours weeding and planting to ensure its beauty for those who drove in and out of it every day.

An avid reader for many years, she enjoyed sitting on the screened-in porch her son Joe had built.

Pleasant Drive was just like it sounds. A place where neighbors all know each other’s names and are a phone call away in times of fun and need. Neighbors there were family in the truest sense of the word.

Her two favorite jobs were delivering the Charlotte Observer for 28 years and working as a nurse’s aide at Holy Trinity Catholic Middle School. Again, more family was added as she made lasting friendships in both places.

Even though she had been in Charlotte for almost fifty years she remained a New York Giants fan and a New York Yankees fan, but she rooted for the Panthers as long as they were not playing the Giants.

With her daughter and son coaching softball at Charlotte Catholic, she quickly became their number one fan! She went to countless home and away games and even travelled to Raleigh to watch tournaments. Parents would pick her up and take her to the away games so she could continue to cheer on the girls.

She was an active member of St. Gabriel’s Church for over 48 years. When her children were young, she volunteered at St. Gabriel’s School. In recent years one of her joys was serving as an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist.

Marge is survived by sons, Michael Murphy of Indian Trail, NC and Joseph Murphy (Suzanne) of Cornelius, NC; daughters, Maureen Arceneaux (Michael) of Melbourne, FL, and Kathleen Murphy of Ft. Mill, SC; grandchildren, James Arceneaux (Amanda) of Ft. Mill, Christopher Arceneaux (Christy) of Fuquay-Varina, NC, Sarah Murphy, Elizabeth Murphy, Claire Murphy, Patrick Murphy, and Michael Murphy, all of Cornelius; and great-grandson, Andrew Arceneaux of Fuquay-Varina. Also surviving are goddaughter, Louise Viegas (Marty) of Sparta, NJ, Bruce Ulriksen of San Francisco, CA, Chris Ulriksen (Rachael) of Medford Lakes, NJ, and Denise Iamondo (Lenny) of Belford, NJ; cousins: Sharon Dondiego of Satellite Beach, FL, Patricia Clark (William) of Fairport, NY, and Marie Donovan and Susan Pelligrito (Julius), of Staten Island, NY; brothers-in-law, Thomas Cowan (Joyce), Douglas Cowan (Kathy); nieces, Anne Marie Huggins (Jeff), and Kathy Rader (Ashley); and nephew, Garner Cowan. She is preceded in death by her husband, Thomas John Murphy.

A Recitation of the Rosary will be held at Harry and Bryant, 500 Providence Road, Charlotte at 5:30 pm on Thursday, February 28th, followed by a visitation from 6:00-8:00 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 12:30 pm on Friday, March 1st, at St. Gabriel Catholic Church, 3016 Providence Road. Burial will follow at Forest Lawn East Cemetery, Matthews.

Those wishing to send memorial gifts, please consider Hospice and the St. Vincent de Paul Society of St. Gabriel’s Church.