Kevin Murphy

Whenever Beth Murphy had to travel to Manhattan for cancer treatments, her husband, Kevin, always made sure she spent the day in style.

'He always made a day of it,' she said.

They would go to lunch with colleagues at Marsh & McLennan, or gaze out at his coveted view of the Statue of Liberty from his desk on the 100th floor of Tower One. At other times they just wandered around the trade center's shopping mall before she returned home to Northport.

But sometimes her melanoma got the better of him, Beth Murphy said. Just a few months ago, 'he was crying. He said, 'You can't die.' And then he died.'

Murphy, who turned 40 the weekend before Sept. 11, was one of five siblings in a close-knit Smithtown family. After graduating from St. Anthony's High School, he attended Mount St. Mary's College in Maryland, earning a business degree in 1983. Murphy then entered the insurance industry, working for several firms before joining Sedgwick James in 1998. Marsh & McLennan bought out the company a year ago, and Murphy was kept on. He worked as an assistant vice president and was due to be promoted to vice president in October.

Although he was proud of his job - and loved to give family and friends tours of the Twin Towers - Murphy's passion was for his family.

Every evening, his two children - Connor, 7, and Caitlyn, 4, would eagerly await their father's return, collapsing into his arms as he came through the door, his wife said.

On weekends, 'he did it all,' she said, adding that friends joked she should rent him out. He took the kids to the dry cleaner, to the grocery store, on dozens of other errands. In fact, the children identified the car with him so much that she recently sold it to eliminate the painful reminder.

Murphy also is survived by his parents, Sally and Tim Murphy of Wilmington, N.C.; brothers Timothy of Smithtown, Michael of Cleveland, and Jack of Rumson, N.J., and a sister, Mary Beth Dougherty of Crestwood, in Westchester County. A memorial Mass was said in his honor Sept. 29 at Our Lady Queens of Martyrs Church in Centerport.

The family had been planning for months to take a four-day Disney cruise, using points that Murphy had accumulated on his credit card. 'We had just got the video in the mail,' his wife said yesterday, calling on her cell phone from Disney World. A friend of a friend had heard of her family's story and treated them to a weeklong trip to the theme park.

Murphy was so well-known for his generosity that some friends had nicknamed him 'St. Kevin.'

'He was one of those people that at 3 in the morning would help you out,' his wife said.

So about a week after he died in the terrorist attacks, his wife was amused to find a St. Kevin medal at the bottom of one of his drawers. A friend must have given it to him as a joke, she guesses.

She now wears it on a chain around her neck.

(c) 2001 Newsday, Inc. Reprinted with permission.www.newsday.com

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Tributes
You are not forgotten... Never4get
Glenn Denzler, Friend
Sep 11 2024 6:45AM
Kevin, peace to you my friend. I will NEVER4GET.
Friend, Friend
Sep 11 2023 6:51AM
Kevin, peace to you my friend. I will NEVER4GET.
Friend , Friend
Sep 11 2022 1:10AM
Kevin, peace to you my friend. I will NEVER4GET.
Glenn, Friend
Sep 11 2021 7:38AM
Hi Beth, it’s Carolyn Clarke. I was a workout buddy at kickboxing Chris Gates. You, Tina and I were 3 Amigos. I was in awe over your courage. Love to your 2 children. Stay warm and friendly as I remember you. Thinking of you during this remembrance.❤️
Carolyn Clarke, Friend
Sep 10 2021 11:32PM
As the 60 th anniversary of your birth approaches I think of all you mean to us… my dear cousin. You would be so proud of your wife your children, your mother and brothers and sister…they carry on because you send them strength and courage everyday.. we miss you and look to you for guidance and hope.. keeping the “light” until we meet again with love always
Elizabeth Reilly, Family
Aug 15 2021 4:18AM
Kevin, you are always remembered. Peace to you.
Glenn, Friend
Sep 11 2020 9:27AM
You are not forgotten Kevin. Continued Peace
Glenn, Friend
Sep 10 2019 1:15PM
You are not forgotten. Peace to you.
Glenn, Friend
Sep 11 2018 6:59AM
Kevin... you are always remebered. Peace to you.
Glenn , Friend
Sep 11 2017 9:52AM
Thinking of you today.. Rest in peace Kevin.
Norman Perkel, Colleague
Sep 11 2017 10:51AM
Kevin, we will never4get you. Continued peace to you my friend.
glenn, Friend
Sep 10 2016 9:44AM
Kevin, we will never4get you. Continued peace to you my friend.
friend, Friend
Sept 10 2015 6:46 PM
Kevin, we will never4get you. Continued peace to you my friend.
glenn, Friend
Sep 11 2014 8:39AM
I will never forget.. Thinking of you today.
Norman Perkel, Colleague
Sep 11 2014 8:35AM
Kevin, we will never4get. Continued peace to you my friend. You have been missed.
glenn, Friend
Sep 11 2013 7:59AM
Kevin, we will never4get. Peace to you my friend.
glenn, Friend
Sep 11 2012 8:16AM
Kevin, my wife and I waited and listened for your name to be read off this morning. We said a prayer for you. I will never4get. Continued peace to you.
glenn, Friend
Sep 11 2011 11:58AM
In Aug of 2001 my son, Bryan Tye, was robbed via gunpoint & beaten in the face. He needed plastic surgery. At that time he was employed at Porters Neck Golf Club in Wilmington NC. All the members took up a massive collection for him & Robert (the golf pro) brought it to the house while Bryan was recuperating. Incl was a card & money from Tim & Sally Murphy. The card read, 'Bryan, you are such a fine young man. You did not deserve this to happen to you. Here's a little donation & if ever you need anything, don't hesitate to let us know.' Signed Tim & Sally. What was so upsetting to Bryan & me along w/ the rest of our family on 911, was that Kevin didn't deserve what happened to him either. Just 3 weeks after Bryan got the card. The difference is: I still have my son & Sally doesn't. I know Kevin & Tim are together in heaven. It was so ironic that the Murphy's were so kind to my son & then a few weeks later they lost theirs. UNBELIEVABLE. I am so sorry Sally. I have been thinking of you & Kevin since Bin Laden has been killed. Often think of Tim as well. Many Blessings & peace Arlene DeJesus - Bryan Tye's Mom
ARLENE DEJESUS, Friend
May 4 2011 8:25PM
Kevin, I will never4get. Continued peace to you.
Friend, Friend
Sep 11 2010 9:15AM
Kevin, I will never4get. Continued peace to you.
glenn, Friend
Sep 11 2009 6:51AM
Kevin, I will never4get. Continued peace to you my friend. You and your family will always be in my thoughts and prayers.
a friend, Friend
Sep 11 2008 8:39AM
Murph- I think of you often and I take consolation that you are with my brother Jim. Rest in peace until we meet again. John
John Blomberg, Friend
Sep 11 2007 6:18PM
Kevin, we will never4get. Continued peace to you my friend.
a friend, Friend
Sep 11 2007 7:26AM
Kevin, It has been five years since that day. I have thought of you and Rich Catarelli often. You were a true professional, and always a good friend. My heart will always go out to your family.
A former client of Kevin's, Colleague
Sep 12 2006 12:08PM
Kevin, we will never4get. Peace to you my friend.
a friend, Friend
Sep 11 2006 11:36AM
Wow Uncle KEvin it has been so long. I never knew about this website, or else I would have left you a tribute a long time ago. I still cannot belive that you are gone. I miss you so much and love you with all of my heart. I know that mommy misses you more than anything too and everyone else in the family. I hope everything we did for Aunt Beth, Connor, and Caitlyn helped them. I still wish you could be there for our family reunions at Uncle Tim's. It isn't the same without you, but you'll always be with us there in spirit, you and Papa. Now that you are with Papa I hope you are even happier in heaven, I love you and miss you! Love your niece, Kerrin
Kerrin, Family
Mar 2 2006 10:09AM
Kevin, four years now...I will never4get.
A Friend, Friend
Sep 8 2005 9:03AM
Kevin, I will NEVER4GET!
A Friend, Friend
Sep 11 2004 8:13PM
Kevin, Thanks for all the great advice, your sense of humor top that of course. P.S. Where is my black & white cookie? Toni
Antonella, Colleague
Sep 12 2003 12:40AM
I will not forget.
A Friend, Friend
Sep 11 2003 8:28AM
Kevin, I will never4get what happened to you. BTW, since your up there try not to crack every body up with your crazy stories and lousy jokes...they just may kick you out. Later Dude.
glenn, Friend
May 23 2003 2:17PM
I started working at Sedgwick in mid 1998, and I recall my first few weeks. I was nervous, shy, and anxious about my new job. I ran into Kevin in the pantry one day, and found out that he was from Northport. I mentioned that my boyfriend at the time (now fiancee) used to be a waiter at Crossroads on Larkfield Road. He mentioned that he knew some of the people at Crossroads, and that he ate there on occasion. Conversation progressed from 'Did he know about the lobster nights?' to any interesting tidbit that I heard about the restaurant's comings and goings. We joked-- Imagine Mark had been Kevin's waiter, and I now was Kevin's co-worker. What a small world. That was the original ice breaker. I was impressed with his dedication to his job, as I can imagine the commute from his home took up a significant amount of time. With the acquisition of Marsh, I hardly saw Kevin any more, as I was in the midtown office and he was in the trade center. Yet, when I saw his name on an account chart team, I was brought back to those first few weeks at Sedgwick, where he took a few minutes to see what was going on with my 'Crossroads' boyfriend. I send Kevin's family my thoughts and prayers. I'm truly sorry for your loss.
Rei Hirasawa, Colleague
Aug 9 2002 2:05PM
I interviewed Kevin when he was being hired at Sedgwick. He truly impressed me with his work ethic, his character, his inquisitiveness and his devotion to his family, his friends and his job. He possessed all the qualities a client and a client executive would want in a property claims consultant. Anytime I was selecting account teams, I always tried to get Kevin on the team. I knew I could always count on him and I knew the clients would love him and they did. You will be missed and always be remembered Kevin. Jim
Jim Niwinski, Colleague
Jul 8 2002 3:46PM
Mr. Cool, thats what I called Kevin because his casual clothes were always so neat and well matched and when I complimented him on his clothes he always gave the credit to his wife. He would say my wife buys my clothes and color codes them for me (ha, ha) because I don't match colors too well. Miss you much.
Estella Taylor, Colleague
Jun 10 2002 12:30PM
We wish you were still with us Daddy. We miss you so much and we pray to you every night. I wish you could still watch me play baseball and have a catch with me in the backyard. You were the best Daddy two little kids could ever have. We want to thank you for all that you did for us when you were with us. We love you so and we are never going to forget our special memories of you. Love you lots forever, Caitlyn and Connor Murphy (5) (8)
Caitlyn and Connor Murphy, Family
May 24 2002 9:14PM