After Tragic Loss, LI Bartender’s Legacy Lives On In Sister’s New Tribute Book

ST. JAMES, NY — A Long Island author is turning personal loss into a message of purpose, connection and inspiration with the release of a deeply personal new book that honors her late brother’s life and legacy.

Renée Greene Murphy, a St. James-based educator and author, recently released The Art of Living with Purpose: Stories of Inspiration & 33 Signature Cocktails, a tribute to her brother, Robert Greene Jr., who died in a car accident in May 2022.

The book blends heartfelt stories with a collection of Greene’s original cocktail recipes and is rooted in both grief and gratitude. Murphy said the book is a wat to preserve the impact her brother had on so many lives across Long Island.

“It’s not just a book you read — it’s something you experience,” Murphy said.

The idea for The Art of Living with Purpose came to her suddenly in January. What followed was an intense, emotional creative process that resulted in a completed book in just two months.

“When the idea came to me, it just flowed,” she said. “Writing is therapeutic for me.”

Murphy set a personal goal to have the book published by March 20 — her brother’s birthday — a milestone she described as both symbolic and deeply meaningful for her family.

“To me, it’s kind of like a birthday present to my parents,” she said.

The book is divided into two parts. The first is a collection of short, inspirational stories written by Murphy, as well as family members, friends, and former patrons of her brother. The second features 33 of Greene’s signature cocktails, a number chosen intentionally to reflect his age at the time of his death.

“I wanted to combine who Robert was in the most organic and inspiring way,” Murphy said.

Greene, a longtime bartender and mixologist on Long Island, was known not only for his creativity behind the bar, but for the way he connected with people.

“He lit up the room that he walked in,” Murphy said. “He made you feel like you were the only person in the room.”

That ability to connect left a lasting impression on hundreds of people — something Murphy said became especially clear during her brother’s wake.

“We had over 500 people at his wake — and most of them were people whose lives he touched behind the bar,” she said.

Many of those who came to pay their respects introduced themselves in an unconventional way — not by name, but by the drinks he made for them.

“People would walk up and say, ‘I’m the gin and tonic,’ or ‘I’m the rum and coke,’ and then tell us how he changed their life,” Murphy said.

Some shared stories of Greene offering comfort during difficult times, forming friendships that extended far beyond the bar, or simply making them feel seen and valued in moments when they needed it most.

“I remember thinking, I wish I had a place to put all these stories,” she said. “That’s really what inspired this book.”

Through those collected memories, Murphy said a larger message began to take shape.

“Life is meant to be lived while connecting and forming genuine relationships with others,” she said.

While the book is rooted in loss, Murphy said that it is not solely about grief. Instead, she said she hopes it offers readers a shift in perspective — one that encourages them to slow down and appreciate the relationships and moments that often go unnoticed.

“It’s about slowing down, appreciating relationships, and choosing happiness,” she said. “Don’t take small moments for granted.”

Murphy’s path to becoming an author began years earlier through her work as a school counselor in Harlem, where she spent a decade supporting students and searching for ways to teach emotional awareness and decision-making.

She found herself repeatedly returning to the concept of intuition — but noticed a gap in how it was presented to children.

“I remember reaching for books to help teach my students the importance of listening to that voice in their heart that directs them to the right thing to do,” she said. “And I realized there were no children’s picture books about the subject.”

That realization led to the creation of Your Heart’s Voice, a children’s book centered on intuition that Murphy began writing in 2018.

After putting the manuscript aside while raising her family, she returned to it following her brother’s death, completing and publishing the book in 2023.

She incorporated her brother into the story as a guiding figure, transforming grief into something tangible for both herself and her readers.

The book went on to win six awards and is now used in schools and libraries across Long Island. Murphy also developed a companion program, “Developing Your Intuition,” complete with journals and lesson plans aligned with New York State standards, which has been implemented in multiple districts, including Commack.

She has also presented the program to local Girl Scout groups, where participants can now earn an “intuition patch.”

But Murphy said her latest book represents a different kind of work — one that speaks not just to children, but to anyone navigating life, loss, or the search for meaning.

She said the book will resonate widely across Long Island, where her brother lived and worked, and where many of the stories in the book originated.

“It can help people in many different ways — whether that’s grief, inspiration, or just needing a shift in perspective,” she said.

The book is currently available on Amazon, with plans to expand distribution to local bookstores and Murphy’s website in the coming weeks

For now, the book’s first release will be marked by a private gathering with family and friends on Greene’s birthday — a moment Murphy described as both emotional and meaningful.

“I just hope it inspires people to live a little more intentionally, to love a little harder, and appreciate the people around them,” Murphy said. “Because that’s exactly what he did every single day.”