Elva H. Murphy

A beautiful heart stopped beating when Elva Helen (Kelleher) Murphy of Canton, MA formerly of Dorchester, MA passed away peacefully in her sleep on Sunday, August 27, 2023, after a long battle with heart disease. Elva was the wife of Frank Murphy and mother to Colleen LaGrasso and her husband Mark of Canton and Kevin Murphy and his wife Tracy of Canton. She is predeceased by her parents Kenneth and Thelma Kelleher and her in laws Xie and Marie Murphy. Sister of Beverly Mastrogiacomo and her husband Jimmy of Dorchester and Pat Dobbyn and her late husband Richie of New Hampshire. Sister in Law to  Thom Murphy and his wife Donna of Whitman. Grandmother to Christina LaGrasso and Great Grandmother to Dylan Rae Yankee of North Attleboro. Elva was a second Mom to Laura  (Froom) Cunningham  and Kristin (Eliasson) Cox. She was also a Grandma to her furry grandchildren as well.

Elva and her husband Frank are original “Roxbury Old Timers”. They met when they lived across the way from each other and within 6 months they got married and celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary this year. They married and moved to Neponset Circle where they lived for over thirty years. They later moved to the Savin Hill Apartments also in Dorchester until they finally purchased their first home in Canton, MA in 2016. She had a fierce love for her children and all the neighborhood kids. She volunteered as a lunch mother at St. Ann’s School in Neponset and she adopted the nickname of the “Candy Lady” since she manned the candy table during school lunch. There was never a day when the door was locked and she always had the kettle burning, to share a cup of Tea with family, friends and neighbors. She was a housekeeper for several families until she retired. 

Elva was a graduate of Girls High in Boston, MA in 1959 and helped with the planning of several reunions. She had the gift of gab, give her a shopping cart and she was off. Most of the time she could be found down an aisle chatting with a total stranger. She enjoyed spending the summers in their RV located on John’ s Pond in Mashpee, MA. She loved sitting on her deck chatting with the neighbors. Elva was an avid reader and it was not uncommon for her to read almost 4 books a week. Everyone loved Elva, she had such a kind soul. We are heartbroken to lose such a beautiful woman, mom, wife, sister and friend. Rest in heavenly peace, until we meet again.

Relatives and friends are invited to greet the family on Wednesday Sept. 6th from 12 noon – 2:30pm in the Keohane Funeral Home, 785 Hancock Street, Quincy. A Celebration of Life Service will begin at 2:30 on Wednesday. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Elva may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.