Daniel Murphy Obituary

Daniel H. Murphy, II
January 8, 1941- July 13, 2025
Daniel H. Murphy II, 84 years old, of Mystic and Groton Long Point, Connecticut, passed away on July 13 after a long illness.
He is survived by his loving wife, Deann Ellison with whom he shared 63 years of marriage and by his daughter, Jessica Murphy Farrell, his son Ted (Edward) E. Murphy, his daughter-in-law Marci Murphy, seven grandchildren, five siblings, twenty-five nieces and nephews, and forty-three grandnieces and nephews.
After graduating in 1958 from The Kingswood School in West Hartford, CT, Dan entered Yale College. At Yale, Dan joined the Beta Theta Phi fraternity, played football for 2 years and swam for the Yale Swimming team for 4 years. During the summer of 1961 he joined Yale's St. Thomas Moore Club where he traveled to Mexico City to construct a school and family center. Dan graduated in the Spring of 1962, married Deann in June and entered Columbia Law School in the Fall. Graduating from Columbia Law in 1965 with a wife, a two-year-old son and a bulldog, he was invited to join the law firm of White & Case. Dan found his passion in litigation and after several years he was sworn into the storied U.S. Attorney's Office in the City of New York. After 6 years, loving every minute of both civil and criminal litigation, he opened his own office (this time for the defense) in the Woolworth Building. The family moved from New York City to Pelham Manor, NY in 1975 and commuted on weekends to the family home in Groton Long Point, CT. Dan enjoyed playing all ball sports - golf, tennis and squash - at The Pelham Country Club, The New York Athletic Club, the New York City Yale Club and The Ocean Reef Club in Florida.
There was no death by boredom with Dan around. Whether looking for a new condo for his family, buying a new bulldog or sports car, or playing with his grandchildren, all would agree that Dan was a lot of fun. His ever-ready humor, keen wit, and infectious smile enlivened every day.
Dan left legal practice to enter the Roman Catholic Diaconate program at St. Joseph's Seminary and College (Dunwoodie) in Yonkers. He was ordained by Archbishop Edward Cardinal Egan of New York in the Spring of 2006. He served as a Deacon at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Pelham Manor New York until illness forced him to retire.
In 2019, Dan and Deann moved to StoneRidge, a retirement community in Mystic, CT just minutes from their Groton Long Point home.
Above all, Dan was a family man. He was a devoted Husband to Deann, Father to Ted and Jessica, father-in-law to Marci Fagan Murphy and Ken Farrell, grandfather to Nicole Murphy Pappas, Skylar Murphy Demeulenaere, Daniel H. Murphy III, Michaela Jane Farrell, John Murphy Farrell, Ellison Ann Farrell, and Tucker Davis Farrell; Brother to Mary Ellen Murphy Linton, Robert Henry Murphy, William Cook Murphy, deceased, Nancy Jane Murphy Conley, John Cook Murphy and Margaret Murphy Orchardo, brother-in-law to George Linton, Janet Thurman Murphy, Carol Wills Murphy, John Conley, Virginia DeuPree Murphy, Joseph Orchardo, Sharon and Stephen Johnson and John Garey and uncle to twenty-five nieces and nephews and forty-three grand nieces and nephews.
A private family Funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, July 26, at St. Mary Mother of the Redeemer Church in Groton.
Family and friends are invited to attend calling hours on Sunday, July 27, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Dinoto Funeral Home, 17 Pearl Street, Mystic. On Monday, July 28, all are welcome to celebrate a Memorial Mass at 10:00 a.m. at the Chapel of Our Lady of the Assumption at St. Edmund's Retreat, 1 Enders Island, Mystic, followed by a reception at Enders Island.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Dan's memory to either Enders Island Recovery Program, 1 Enders Island, Mystic, CT 06344 or to The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) at 2700 Horizon Drive, Suite 120, King of Prussia, PA 19406.