Gladys C.

WORCESTER Gladys C. (Hagan) Murphy, 88, died on Saturday, November 13, 2010 peacefully, and with characteristic quiet dignity left our world with one fewer extraordinary individual.

Her husband, Paul J. Murphy of Holden died in 1976. Gladys leaves four children: John Murphy of Worcester, Paul (Terry) Murphy of Tampa, Ann Cunningham and Mary Murphy of Worcester; as well as three grandchildren, Sean and Ryan Murphy of Arizona and Jean Paul Murphy of New York.

In a chaotic, unpredictable, and apparently largely dysfunctional world, Gladys navigated the raising of four individuals from the state of childhood to successful adulthood by instilling principles and values as compass for each of them. This gift to her children, not fully recognized until their adulthood, was complemented by the example by which she led her own life. A home, with a door always open to others for a conversation, for a meal, or for however long they may need, may have seemed unusual to some outside observers but was just "life as it should be" in the Murphy household, thanks to Gladys' guidance.

After graduating from Framingham State College, Gladys enlisted as a 1st Lieutenant in the Army Medical Corps and served at Guadalcanal during WWII. When the war ended, she studied at Harvard University, later...