Sheila A. Murphy

Sheila was the beloved wife of Joseph P. Murphy for forty years. Born in Providence, she was a daughter of the late Joseph F. and Agnes R. (DeSimone) Grimes.

Sheila was the manager of Diagnostic Imaging at Our Lady of Fatima Hospital for forty-six years. She was also an active parishioner at St. Pius V Church.

In 2012, cancer became an unwelcome presence in Sheila’s family’s life. Later, she would come to discover that a rare genetic trait left her especially susceptible to the disease, and her last twelve years on earth would be a time of constant vigilance, prayer, and worry.

While her children moved away and started families of their own, blessing her with four grandchildren, the dread of reckoning with each new diagnosis and its consequences would take a crippling toll on Sheila’s peace of mind. The MMMT that ultimately metastasized and took her life was the latest in a harrowing series of cancer scares and rounds of treatment and recovery. In the end, the boundless courage of her spirit simply outpaced the limits of her body.

Sheila was a faithful wife, mother, and grandmother, who took delight in caring for her family. She was the loving mother of Caitlin R. Murphy Belyeu and her husband Chad Belyeu as well as Daniel J. Murphy and his girlfriend Danielle N. Carney. She was the cherished grandmother of Magnolia Harper Belyeu, Cannon Sawyer Belyeu, Aidan Cillian Antonio Murphy, and Teagan Elizabeth Sheila Murphy. Sheila was the sister of Deborah L. Procopio (Joseph), William G. Grimes (Christine), Mary E. McGrath, James P. Grimes, and the late Joseph F. Grimes Jr., Paul A. Grimes, and John F. Grimes.

A visitation will be held Wednesday, December 4th, from 4:00-7:00 p.m. in the Russell J. Boyle & Son Funeral Home, 142 Centerville Road, Warwick. Her funeral will begin Thursday, December 5th, at 8:15 a.m. at the funeral home, with a Mass of Christian Burial to be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. in St. Pius V Church, 240 Eaton Street, Providence. Entombment will follow at St. Ann’s Cemetery in Cranston.

Sheila’s oncologist, Dr. Katina Robison, and her husband co-founded the Izzy Foundation to help eliminate childhood cancer in honor of their daughter, who succumbed to the disease at three years old. In lieu of flowers, Sheila’s family asks for donations to this inspiring organization; donations may also be made to the Elmhurst Boys, a dedicated group of friends who do so much to help families in need throughout the community.

The Izzy Foundation, PO Box 2326, Providence, RI 02906.

The Elmhurst Boys, c/o Mike Lapolla, 26 Elmhurst Avenue, Providence, RI 02908.