H. Marilyn Murphy – (96) – of formerly of 1190 County Rt. 66, Hornell, passed away Saturday morning (August 31, 2024) at Elderwood of Hornell Nursing Facility where she had resided for the past four years.
Born in Rochester, NY on June 21, 1928, she was the daughter of Bernard & Helen (Riley) Seeley.
Her family resided in Conesus, NY when Marilyn was a small child. When she was about 7 years old, her family moved to Dansville, NY. She was a graduate of Dansville High School (class of 1946).
Marilyn moved to Hornell, NY in 1947 when she married William T. “Bill” Murphy. She was employed for about 10 years in the Sears Store in Hornell where she worked at the catalog desk. She later worked for about 28 years in the office of JC Penney’s in Hornell. She retired in 1993.
For many years, Marilyn had been a communicant of St. Ignatius Loyola Church in Hornell. In recent years she attended St Brendan’s Church in Almond, NY. She was a former member of Catholic Daughters of America where she served as an officer.
Marilyn always enjoyed attending her children’s, grandchildren’s and great-grandchildren’s school functions and sporting events. She was an avid reader and especially enjoyed reading books written by Rochester native & historian Arch Merrill. For many years she also enjoyed crocheting.
She was married in 1947 to William T. “Bill” Murphy who died in 1997. She was also preceded in death by her daughter, Deborah Lyke who died in 2019; her daughter-in-law, Gail Murphy who died in 2022; her brothers, Bernard Seeley JR and William Seeley; her sister, Corrine Miller.
Surviving are her son William T. Murphy II of Hornell; 2 daughters, Jennifer (John) Beckerman of South Lyon, MI and Bridget Murphy of Amsterdam, NY; her son-in-law, Larry Lyke of Novi, MI; her longtime friend, Pat; 9 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; several nieces & nephews.
The family of H. Marilyn Murphy will receive friends on Friday September 6 from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM at the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday September 7 at 11:00 AM at St. Brendan’s Church of Almond. A “Celebration of Life” will follow at the Hornell American Legion. Burial will be in the Bath National Cemetery.
Marilyn’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name be made to the Hornell Humane Society, 7649 Industrial Park Road, Hornell, NY 14843. Memorial forms will be available at the Dagon Funeral Home.
To leave an online condolence or share a memory, visit www.dagonfuneralhome.com
