Award-Winning LI Tribute Book To Be Celebrated At Smithtown Signing

SMITHTOWN, NY — A deeply personal book honoring the life of a beloved Long Island bartender is gaining new recognition — and will soon be celebrated with the community that helped inspire it.

Renée Greene Murphy, a St. James-based author and educator, recently announced that her book The Art of Living with Purpose: Stories of Inspiration & 33 Signature Cocktails has received an award, marking a new milestone for a project rooted in grief, connection, and legacy.

Murphy will host a book signing event on Thursday, May 15 at Napper Tandy’s in Smithtown beginning at 5 p.m., with live Irish music scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m. The event carries added emotional significance, coming just one day after the anniversary of her brother Robert Greene Jr.’s death.

The book serves as a tribute to Greene, a longtime bartender and mixologist on Long Island who died in a car accident in May 2022. Known for his charisma and ability to connect with others, Greene left a lasting impact on hundreds of people — many of whom contributed stories to the book.

Murphy previously described her brother as someone who “lit up the room that he walked in” and had a rare ability to make people feel seen and valued, whether they had known him for years or had just met him.

That impact became especially clear in the days following his death.

More than 500 people attended Greene’s wake, many of them patrons who had formed personal connections with him over the years. Murphy recalled how attendees introduced themselves not by name, but by the drinks he made for them, sharing stories of how he had influenced their lives.

The experience ultimately inspired her to create a space where those memories could be preserved.

“I wanted to create a place where all of these stories could live on,” Murphy said previously to Patch.

The Art of Living with Purpose combines those personal stories with 33 of Greene’s signature cocktails — a number chosen to reflect his age at the time of his death. The book explores themes of purpose, connection, and appreciating life’s everyday moments, while celebrating a life that left a lasting impression on so many.

Murphy said she hopes readers walk away with a renewed perspective.

“I hope readers walk away feeling inspired to live more intentionally and choose happiness,” she said.

The upcoming event at Napper Tandy’s will mark the first public opportunity for the community to gather around the book, following a private release with family and friends on Greene’s birthday in March.

Murphy said she hopes the event not only celebrates her brother’s life, but also brings together the many people he impacted throughout Long Island.

The book is currently available on Amazon, with additional distribution planned through local bookstores and Murphy’s website.