Honora Murphy's Obituary
Honora (Cunningham) Murphy
Nurse, Activist, Leader, Mentor, Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother and Friend
1928—2024
Honora Murphy passed away peacefully on February 15, 2024, at the age of 95, surrounded by Family. “Nora” as she was often called, was born in New Castle, Pennsylvania in 1928, the eleventh of 14 children, to Thomas Joseph Cunningham III and Margaret Ellen Boyle. The daughter of a florist and homemaker, she had a life-long love of flowers, books, travel and children.
A graduate of Mercy Hospital School of Nursing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1949, Honora married her husband Charles Murphy in 1950. Married for 70 years, the couple moved to Alameda, California in 1964 calling the island home for 60 years. Her sisters claimed that on her wedding day she announced her intention to have “a dozen children”. One can only wonder what her new husband thought of that; but the couple did eventually exceed her goal and went on to have fourteen children.
Honora was first and foremost a proud wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. The large Murphy brood made the newspapers on many occasions over the years with headlines like this one in 1961 “Pitt to Graduate Father of Eight” and “Childlift of Murphys” in 1963 when Honora flew her eleven children including a one-year-old and infant twins to join Charles in California; and in 1979 “A Mother of 14 Still Has Time for a Busy Civic Life”.
What a busy civic life it was! Over the next 50 years Honora was a leader and advocate for the disabled, education and libraries. Starting in the early 1970s, noticing the lack of attention to the needs of disabled youth, by the City Council-appointed school board, Honora and a group (later known as the Brown Baggers) worked to change the system; The result was what we have today, an elected school board that is more responsive to the needs of the community.
Her passion for reading intersected with her advocacy for the disabled, when she tried to take her disabled child to the library and there were no wheelchair ramps. She helped to found the Friends of the Alameda Free Library to raise funds and advocate for a new main library. Knowing Alameda did not have the funds, she led the 1994 parcel tax campaign that was defeated by the voters. Undeterred, a few years later, a meeting in her living room resulted in finally securing local funding for a new main library, as well as library branch renovations. She went on to chair the Library Build Team playing an integral role in the design of the new Alameda Main Library at 1550 Oak St.
In the 1980’s Honora resumed her career as a registered nurse and worked many years as the Director of Nursing at South Shore Convalescent Hospital. She was also a member, active volunteer and donor for many local organizations such as: Girls Inc., American Association of University Women, Children's Hospital Garden Branch, Docent for the Alameda Museum, officer in the Alameda Democratic Club to name just a few. She helped form the first parents guild at St Joseph Elementary School and served as President of the PTA Council for many years.
Honora also helped to organize the Alameda League of Women Voters. Her service as membership chair resulted in a national award for membership growth. She was a founder of the Alameda Collaborative for Children, Youth and their Families, served on the Alameda City Disability
Commission and served for 20 years on the Board of the Children’s Learning Center, now called Phillips Academy, a school for children with special needs.
Described by community members as smart, resilient, warm, enthusiastic, visionary and persevering. She and Charles hosted many events and fundraisers in their large home across the street from Franklin Park. Honora worked on many city and state political campaigns, wrote countless letters of support and wasn’t afraid to voice opposition. Honora always credited her success to a very supportive husband and the independence of her children.
She was honored with many awards during her lifetime including City of Alameda Woman of the Year (1998), Assembly District 16 (Alameda County) Woman of the Year (2003) and The Alameda City Council Lifetime Achievement Award (2017).
Preceded in death in 2020 by Charles J. Murphy, husband of 70 years, son James Charles Murphy, sister-in-law, Margaret Murphy, brothers-in-law Thomas and William Murphy, son Daniel Thomas Murphy, son-in-law Paul J Miller, siblings Catherine Kantes, Jane Latsko, Mary Cunningham, Margaret Cunningham, Thomas J. Cunningham, Steven J. Cunningham, Helen Lauster, Ruth Silberman, Frances Martin, Robert Cunningham, Lois Brosky, Sheila Hughes, John Cunningham.
Honora is survived by: 12 children, 14 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren and countless nieces, nephews, grand and great-grand nieces and nephews.
Kathleen (Paul) Miller and partner Bill Maloney, Mary Ellen Holden, daughter-in-law Celeste McMullin (widow of Dan), Eileen (Ron) Neulinger, Joe (Victoria) Murphy, Dr. Loretta (Paul Allen), Laura (David Jaffe), Michael (Joanna Wong), Matt (Maarit Tallila-Murphy), Tim, Bernard, Richard (Tina), Ann (Jesse Daniels); Grandmother of Hugh Holden (Pippa Everard-West), Heather (Todd Speight) Holden, Brian (Bet) Miller, Sara Miller (Eric Gorski), Thomas Neulinger, Natalie (Cameron) Stuart, Steve (Michaela) Hammerson, Cate Jaffe, Fiona Murphy, Kendric Murphy, Cedric Murphy, Patric Murphy, Marja-Inkeri Murphy, Aidan Murphy and Seamus Murphy; Great Grandmother of Yasmine Simone Smith, Layla Foley; Sydnee and Nolan Miller; Alex Jameson; Theodore and Joe Hammerson;
Many thanks to the caregivers from AEC Home Care and the Waters Edge Lodge where Honora resided and continued to read books, two daily newspapers, and work the New York Times Crossword puzzle.
Family and friends are invited to a Memorial Service for Honora Murphy, Saturday March 2, 2024 at 2pm, Chimes Chapel at the Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave in Oakland, California.
A Memorial Service and placement of urns for Charles and Honora Murphy will be held Sunday March 3, 2024 at 2 pm, Chapel of Light located on the 3rd Floor of the Chapel of the Chimes Columbarium, 4499 Piedmont Ave in Oakland, California.
As an expression of sympathy, memorial contributions may be sent to any of the organizations:
Friends of the Alameda Free Library http://weblink.donorperfect.com/MemorialGifts
League of Women Voters of Alameda https://www.lwv.org/local-leagues/lwv-alameda
Girls Inc. of the Island City https://girlsincislandcity.org
The Phillips Academy www.thephillipsacademy.org
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