Thomas M. Murphy Sr.

Thomas M. Murphy Sr. of Joseph's Drive, Saugerties and Boca Raton, Florida, died Friday, April 7, 2006 at Benedictine Hospital after a 17 year battle with cancer. He was 77 He was born in Hollis, Long Island on January 18, 1929, a son of the late Lawrence S. and Ruth Culliton Murphy. Raised in Hollis, Mr. Murphy was educated, while attending seminary in the Franciscan Order, at Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. and in Hyattsville, MD. On May 4, 1952 he married Gloria F. Piccininni on Long Island. Mr. Murphy began his career as a salesman at Klaiss Buick and then at Breitfella Pontiac, both on Long Island. In 1955 he moved to Middletown and was the manager of the Olds division at Kroglund Motors Cadillac/Olds. He was recognized as 'Salesperson of the Nation' in 1957. He later worked at West Point Ford and then, in Beacon, ran three McCormack dealerships: Lincoln/Mercury, Ford and Lee Ford. In 1965 Mr. Murphy helped found Hallahan & Murphy Dodge. He developed the national TV advertisement, 'The Dodge Boys', to help promote the business. In 1973 Mr. Murphy founded Colonial Lincoln/Mercury in the Town of Ulster. He also purchased Subaru in 1973 and Suzuki in 2003. He was recognized as the largest volume Mercury Lynx store in the country in 1985. He has been active at the family business through Christmas of last year. He served on the Lincoln Mercury Dealer Council. Beginning in 1989, Mr. Murphy built the Villa Gloria - La Fuente Hotel and Restaurant in Vieques, Puerto Rico. He then owned and operated both for five years. In recent years Mr. Murphy bought, sold, designed and built houses on Marco Island, Florida, Puerto Rico and the lower Hudson Valley. Surviving are his wife of 53 years, Gloria F. Murphy, two sons Thomas M. Murphy Jr. and his wife Bernadette of Red Hook, Andrew M. Murphy Sr. and his wife Kathleen of Saugerties; one daughter Barbara Beisel and her husband John of Saugerties; his six grandchildren Thomas M. Murphy III, Andrew M. Murphy Jr., Tara Murphy, Daniel Ferrendino, Brian Murphy and Kyle Murphy, two brothers Robert Murphy of Long Island and Peter Murphy of Michigan; four sisters Janice and Nancy Flynn, both of MA, Ruth Jameson of PA and Marilyn McClean of Long Island; many nieces and nephews, and a very close family friend, Barbara Jean Murphy of Port Ewen. One brother, Lawrence Murphy, died previously. Reposing at the Simpson - Gaus Funeral Home, 411 Albany Ave. on Sunday from 3:00 - 5:00 and 7:00 - 9:00. The funeral will be Monday at 9:00 AM from the funeral home. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Joseph's Church, Glasco at 10:00 AM. Entombment will be in Wiltwyck Community Mausoleum. Contributions in Mr. Murphy's memory may be made to Sangretech Biomedical 'SBRI', Advancement Dept., 307 Westlake Avenue N., Suite 500, Seattle, WA 98109-5219.