Jim: "Father of the Year" becomes a granddad from Colleen A. Murphy

James E. Murphy In 1978 my father, James E. Murphy, was named Melrose’s “Father of the Year.” The letter that I wrote twenty nine years ago talked about the fact that, because my mother was ill for most of our lives, my father essentially raised his five children alone. Back then I was twelve years old, and the five of us ranged in age from 8 to 13. My father worked for the post office, a job he continued until he retired several years ago. Throughout the last 29 years my father continued to live up to the title bestowed on him for so long ago. He was and continues to be a committed, loving father who has always been there for us when we needed him. And after raising five children he is now helping to raise six more - his grandchildren. With our busy lives my father has always been available to help with the grandkids-dropping off and picking up at preschool, soccer, tee-ball, ballet, and now, with his older grandchildren, the Middle School and the High School.   Through the years he has remained as involved and interested in his children’s lives as ever, which is no doubt the reason that we have all stayed in, or close to Melrose. And, because of him we have stayed close as a family, seeing each other almost constantly, and staying involved in each other’s lives. His love and guidance has helped us weather life’s storms-including the death of my mother a few years ago-together. Greatness comes in many forms. My father’s greatness is not the loud, flamboyant kind that typically gets your picture in the paper. My father is not famous, he is not a rich man, he is not a captain of industry. But 29 years later, he is still Father of the Year. Colleen A. Murphy 100 Larchmont Road

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