Janet Watson Murphy

Mrs. Janet W. Murphy of Needham formerly Wellesley died peacefully on April 1, 2024 at North Hill Retirement Community in Needham.   She was 93.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts she spent much of her youth in Belmont and summers in North Scituate.  She also loved to relay stories of her travels and adventures.  She graduated from Newton Country Day School of the Sacred Heart and Eliot-Pearson School of Child Study at Tuft’s University, Somerville. She was an active member of the Framingham Union Hospital Aid Society, the Wellesley Garden Club and the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.  She loved flower arranging and participated in Art in Bloom through the Wellesley Garden Club and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. She also helped to grace the spaces at North Hill Retirement Community with her flower arrangements. Janet and Joe, her beloved husband of 58 years, also took great pleasure participating in dinner dances and comic skits with the Wellesley Assemblies.

Janet was an active mother and grandmother, always present at school activities, sports events and theatrical performances.  She was known to be a gracious hostess to her many friends, colleagues and family members.

Janet was the beloved mother of Denise M. Sauter of Sudbury, Richard W. Murphy of Ayer, Marianne M. Francke of Geneva, Switzerland, Deirdre M. Sullivan of Medway, Tara E. Murphy of Maynard and Christina J. Murphy of Pittsfield, New Hampshire, the dear “Grammie” of George and Kate Sauter, Anna Lara, Ian and Colin Murphy, Isabelle and Niklas Francke, Anne, Luke and Brigid Sullivan and Matt Giles, loving great-grandmother of Grayson, Tucker and Hudson Lanteigne, Cody and Cole Murphy and Olivia Michel.  She was also the well-loved mother in law of Kenneth Sauter, Auder Murphy, Nils Francke, Thomas Sullivan, Jeffrey Giles and Sylvia Dupont.

A visiting hour will be held on Fri Apr 5 from 9-10 AM in St. John the Evangelist Church, 9 Glen Rd Wellesley where her Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 10 AM, interment will follow in Woodlawn Cemetery, Wellesley

In lieu of flowers a donation in Mrs. Murphy’s name to Massachusetts Horticultural Society (https://www.masshort.org/support/donate) and Brigham and Women’s Hospital (https://give.brighamandwomens.org) would be appreciated.

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