Beloved Safeway Cashier Remembered At Mill Valley Council Meeting

MILL VALLEY, CA — Mill Valley city officials and community members honored a longtime Safeway cashier during a September City Council meeting, remembering her as a familiar and beloved presence to generations of local shoppers.

Mayor Max Perrey said the council would adjourn the meeting in Mary Murphy's honor and described the response from residents following her death.

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"Mary recently passed," said Mayor Max Perrey. "I knew Mary from having gone to Safeway pretty much my entire life, and she was a beloved community member, known by so many."

Murphy, 59, was killed Aug. 24 when she and her dog, Andre, were struck by a car while crossing Novato Boulevard near St. Paul Circle, according to Novato police. She was taken to a hospital, where lifesaving efforts were unsuccessful. Her dog also died.

Her sons, Emmett and Shane Murphy, were left without their mother following the crash. A fundraiser said Murphy had been the brothers' sole provider since their father died when they were children.

Murphy's cousin told the council that Murphy had worked at the Mill Valley Safeway for more than 33 years and developed friendships with customers along the way.

Murphy's son told the council that Mill Valley had become a second home for his mother and their family.

"My mom loved the city so much, and she just she thought of it as her second home," he said.

The tribute also turned into a discussion about pedestrian safety.

Attorney Carter Zinn, who said he was helping Murphy's family with the legal side of the Novato crash, urged councilmembers to continue funding projects designed to make streets safer. Zinn previously served on the city's Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee.

"I'm going to go out on a limb and tell you this: the money that this city spends on those things save lives," Zinn said, referring to rapid-flashing crosswalk beacons and other street-safety improvements.

He encouraged the council to continue funding such projects when they come before the city.

Southern Marin Fire Chief Tom Welch recalled Murphy as a familiar face at Safeway.

"She's a testament to the fact that big impact comes in small packages," Welch said. "So many times Safeway would say, 'We have other lines open,' and it's like, but they don't have Mary Murphy."

Murphy's relatives and friends planned to gather outside the meeting afterward to spend time together in her honor.

The Novato crash remains under investigation.

Police said the 18-year-old driver remained at the scene and was cooperating with investigators, and impairment did not appear to be a factor.