Posted May 24, 2016

Sister Patricia Lee Murphy, S.S.J. (formerly Sister Thomas Josepha), age 79, died April 26 in the 61st year of her religious life.

The daughter of Leo Murphy and Viola Cowdrick, Sister Patricia was born in Neptune, N.J., in 1937. She attended Holy Spirit Grade School, Asbury Park and St. Rose High School, Belmar, N.J.

She entered the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Chestnut Hill, in 1955. She graduated from Chestnut Hill College with a B.S. in elementary education and from Seton Hall University with an M.A. in education.

Sister Patricia was a teacher in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia at St. Andrew School, Drexel Hill, and Holy Child, Philadelphia. In the Newark Archdiocese, she taught at St. Mary Star of the Sea, Bayonne; Our Lady of Mercy, Jersey City; and Notre Dame, North Caldwell. As principal, she served at St. Michael School, Palisades Park.

During the past 34 years, she served as hospital minister (chaplain) and director of pastoral care at Overlook Medical Center in the Archdiocese of Newark.

Her funeral Mass was celebrated May 2 at St. Joseph Villa in Flourtown.

Predeceased by her father, Leo, and brother-in-law Robert E. Dowd, she is survived by her mother, Viola (98 years old), a sister, Theresa Dowd, nieces and nephew, Bridget Dowd, Rosemary McNamee (Sean), Robert Dowd Jr. (Donielle), Anna Schaefer (John) and Patricia Sarsen.

She is also survived by four grandnieces, and five grandnephews and members of her congregation, the Sisters of St. Joseph.