Obituary

Maureen Murphy died peacefully of a stroke with her family by her side on January 4, 2024, at the age of 84. She was born on June 25, 1939, in Somerville, MA, and was raised in the same city.

Maureen later resided in Lowell, MA, Andover, MA, and Middleton, MA, before joining family in the Washington, DC area in 2019. Maureen will be fondly remembered as a devoted mother and grandmother and a defender of the downtrodden. She is survived by her children: Patricia Anne Franco (Charles Clark), John Michael Franco II (Kathy Franco), Sheila Jeanne Franco, and Stephen James Franco (Kelly Rafuse). Maureen also leaves behind her cherished grandchildren: Sean Michael Franco (Cherrees Franco), Patrick John Franco, Nicholas John Franco, Kyle Michael Franco, Ezekiel Murphy Clark, Nora Hazel Clark, James Wesley Clark, and Savannah Leigh Rafuse-Franco. She was preceded in death by her parents, Mary Horgan Murphy and Thomas Murphy, as well as her aunts and uncles: Anne Butler, Michael Horgan, Tim Horgan, Paddy Horgan, Ellie Coleman, Nora Byrne, and Catherine Day. She is survived by numerous loving cousins and dear friends.

A funeral procession will begin at the George L. Doherty Funeral Home 855 Broadway (Powder House Sq.), Somerville, MA, on Saturday, January 20th at 10:00AM, followed by a funeral Mass celebrated in St. Clement’s Church,64 WarnerSt., Medford, MA, at 11:00AM. Services will conclude with burial at Oak Grove Cemetery,230 Playstead Rd. Medford, MA, with a reception to follow. Relatives and friends are invited to attend.

​Contributions in Maureen’s memory can be made to MSPCA Angell Northeast Animal Shelter https://www.northeastanimalshelter.org/or St. Agnes Parish https://agnesandrose.org/ in Middleton, MA.