Nancy Susan Murphy

Nancy Susan (Lapointe) Murphy, 75, of South Windsor, Connecticut, passed away peacefully at home and entered her well-earned eternal rest on November 22, 2024 after a brief period of hospice care.

Nancy was born October 20, 1949 in Lowell, Massachusetts, the oldest daughter of Marcel Lapointe and Eva Dufresne. She graduated from Lowell High School in 1967. She married her high-school sweetheart Cornelius Murphy in 1967 and then spent time as a homemaker raising her three children prior to her marriage ending in 1979.

Nancy entered the workforce as an administrative assistant and held different administrative positions with Pellon Corporation in Lowell and Cabot Corporation in Billerica until her early retirement after a stroke in 1999, which left her with a permanent communication disability.

In her younger adult years, she enjoyed spending time with her children and celebrating with them on their achievements, both large and small. She very much loved music of all genres and loved to dance. She would sometimes play her collection of favorite 1950s songs on 45s and have impromptu living room dance parties. She loved to laugh and have long conversations and write creatively. Nancy was a voracious reader and a skilled gardener who spent many, many hours making her yard beautiful.

Though the last twenty-five years of her life were shadowed by physical disability, Nancy always made the most of her capabilities and enjoyed her time with her family, using a combination of limited spoken and written vocabulary and charades to communicate with people. She particularly reveled in the arrivals of each of her five beloved grandchildren. She became a doting grandmother to the best of her abilities despite the communication barrier. She often showered them with sweets and small gifts - what she referred to as “little things”, which was one of the phrases she could still say after her strokes - along with warm hugs to show her love. Nancy was unable to say her loved ones’ names, but she ubiquitously used the term of endearment “honey” to summon us from the next room, which made us laugh when we were in a group and would look at each other wondering which “honey” she was, in fact, calling.

In the mid-1990s, Nancy met her companion David McNeal and enjoyed so many laughs and fun experiences with him over the years. David cared for Nancy for many years after her stroke, often
helping her family communicate with her over the phone by letting us know what she was trying to say. This assistance was invaluable and allowed her to continue to live independently in her own home for many years. For this we owe him an enormous debt of gratitude. Nancy moved in with her daughter and son-in-law in Connecticut in 2017 and was cared for by them until her passing.

Nancy had the kindest and most loving soul and had a knack for making those around her feel important through all the little things she did. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends.
She is survived and lovingly remembered by her children Lori Spaeth and her husband Rich of Manchester, NH; Jennifer Williams and her husband Michael of South Windsor, CT; Daniel Murphy and his wife Sarah of Melrose, MA; her grandchildren, Samantha Spaeth, Dylan Spaeth, Jasper Williams, Erin Williams and Kira Murphy; her sister Diane Oates and her husband John of Pana, IL, her brother Bruce and his wife Lisa of Palm Bay, FL; as well as several nieces and nephews including Bryan Oates, Brent Lapointe, Drew Lapointe, Luke Lapointe, Josh Landry, Evan Lapointe and Ethan Lapointe. In addition to her family, she leaves behind her companion David and his children Jennifer McNeal, Amy Burgraff and Ryan McNeal along with their families, all of whom she loved and treated as her own family. She also leaves behind Lisa Letts, her daytime caregiver for the last two years of her life, who loved her enough to endure her less desirable behaviors as her physical ailments took over and often masked her true loving nature. We would also like to thank Katrina Cushman, her daytime caregiver from 2020 to 2023, who was so wonderful at keeping mom busy and getting her out of the house for adventures.

Preceding Nancy in death are her brother Marcel Lapointe and her niece Rebecca Lapointe.

There will be no visitation or memorial service. Instead, a private Celebration of Life is planned. Memorial donations in Nancy’s name may be directed to Pack Leaders Rescue (1026 Tolland Street, East Hartford, CT 06108 or www.packleadersrescue.com) with our profound thanks. Online condolences may be shared at luddyandpetersonfh.com.