Remembering Catherine (Faulkner) Murphy of San Bruno

San Francisco native, longtime San Bruno resident and most recently ensconced at the Mercy Retirement and Care Center in Oakland, Catherine (Faulkner) Murphy lived for 100 years and eight days.

She passed away peacefully at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the Fruitvale-area residence run by the Sisters of Mercy. But before that she lived an extraordinary life that dates back to the days Babe Ruth was hitting home runs and Charlie Chaplin was making movies. .

As a teen in the early 1930s Catherine attended Lowell High in San Francisco and was a stellar student and the president of the Girls Athletic Association.

Later she taught at public schools in Oakland and San Francisco and coached girls’ teams, utilizing public transportation to deliver her girls to athletic venues.

Less than a decade hence, she met the late James Murphy, also a native San Franciscan with Irish-Catholic roots who was an educator. They had four children, all of whom attended St. Robert’s School in San Bruno.

Said second child Anne Murphy, now a Mercy nun: “Both mom and dad were very involved in parish life at St. Roberts. Mom belonged to the Mothers Club and the Legion of Mary and in their later years they brought communion together to shut-ins. Mom and Dad also prayed the rosary together every night.”

Sometimes the duo would multi-task while praying -- watching their beloved San Francisco Giants on TV while saying their Hail Marys!

San Bruno’s John Murphy of Prep2Prep.com, youngest member of the Murphy clan, recalls his mom in a blog that may be read HERE.