Joan P Murray

Of Needham, died on Saturday, November 18th.  She was the daughter of the late Noreen (O’Meara) and Michael “Joe” Murray;  sister of the late Richard Murray of Merrimack, New Hampshire and the late Noreen Tierney of Brighton and aunt of the late Kevin Tierney of Brighton and his wife Martha of Pomona Beach, FL.

She was born in Boston on January 20, 1932 and is survived by her sister-in-law Mary Murray of Merrimack, New Hampshire; nieces and their husbands Maureen and Baldwin Lee of Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Kathleen and Antonio Pereira of Chelmsford; Maura Murray and Jerad Lewis of Cambridge; Sarah and Tim Lizek of Littleton. Also survived by grand nieces and grand nephews Timothy and Lauren Lee; Will and Avery Lizek and Declan and Clare Lewis.

She grew up in Mission Hill and Jamaica Plain, then moved to Brighton and finally to Needham, where she had lived for over forty years. Joan received her teaching degree from Boston Teacher's College and her Masters from Simmons College and taught first grade in the Needham Public School System at both the Stephen Palmer and Eliot Elementary Schools for over 30 years until her retirement in 1993.

Joan will always be remembered as a colorful and stylish dresser, a talented seamstress, baker and knitter. She loved music and language and was an enthusiastic fan of both the New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox. She treasured going to live Broadway shows with Noreen and Kevin, and was always uplifted and amazed by her grand nieces and nephews after a family gathering.

Joan was a generous, intelligent and kind woman of great strength – we will miss her dearly as the last of her generation.

Visiting hours Saturday, November 25th from 8:30 to 10:00 am at Lehman Reen & McNamara Funeral Home, followed by a Funeral Mass in St. Columbkille Church, 321 Market Street Brighton at 10:30 am. Interment to follow at Evergreen Cemetery, Brighton.   Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend.

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