Alice Murphy | Obituary | The Daily News of Newburyport – The Daily News of Newburyport

Alice Burbank Murphy

March 5, 1930 – December 4, 2020

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Essex – Alice Burbank Murphy passed away peacefully of Alzheimer’s disease at age 90 on December 4, 2020. Alice was born on March 5, 1930, in Hackensack, NJ, to Hugh Eleazer Burbank, MD, and Anna Wissert Burbank. She attended Lyndhurst High School and went on to graduate from the Burbank Hospital School of Nursing in Fitchburg, MA. Her first nursing jobs were at Mass General Hospital and Mass Eye and Ear where she worked in the OR.
Boston is where she met her first husband, John Murphy. His job as a college professor took them to Pennsylvania and NY before settling in Byfield, MA where their two daughters grew up. During those years Alice worked at Seaview Nursing Home in Rowley. She and her coworker and best friend Judy Wilson had many fun times together canoeing.
Alice loved the outdoors, spurred by childhood summers at camp. As an adult she learned to white water canoe and rock climb through the Appalachian Mountain Club where she met her second life partner Fred Laing. Many summers were spent canoeing most of the class 2 and 3 rivers in New England, and hiking the 4,000 footers. Winters activities included snowshoeing the NH state parks and going to contradances. Alice also loved to sing acapella with the Sweet Adelines and learned to clog. Sewing and knitting projects included prom dresses, wool suits, curtains, pillow covers, and fisherman knit sweaters. Alice could transform herself from mountain goat fashion to the cover of Vogue magazine!
Alice was predeceased by her brother Hugh Edward Burbank, her partner Frederick Laing and former husband John Murphy, and nephew Christopher Burbank.
Alice is survived by her loving family, her daughter Janet Murphy Madsen and her husband Eric Madsen of Juneau, Alaska; and daughter Monica Murphy John and her husband Alex John of Underhill, VT; and four grandchildren, Crystal and Jeff Ketah of Juneau, AK and their children Dexter and Selena, Autumn Hadley of Anchorage, AK, Liam John of Jericho, VT and Ethan John of Fort Collins, CO.
Burial will be at the Irish Settlement Cemetery, Underhill, VT. In memory of Alice, live lightly on the earth, enjoy and take care of the forests and the rivers. The family invites you to share your memoires by visiting awrfh.com.

Published on August 6, 2021