France Murphy

Madame France Murphy of Boylston, MA lost a brief and overpowering battle with cancer on February 25, 2023. Born in Issy les Moulineaux, France, she came to America at 19 years old with only a backpack and $100 dollars. Encouraged by her teacher who recognized that she had language skills and the courage to go out into the world, she came here for a year to work and study through a foreign exchange program. With one month left in her studies, she met the love of her life, Paul, on a train in the middle of the night heading to Washington, DC. They spent the next 43 years together. While raising her two children, Sondra and Sean, Madame Murphy obtained her Bachelor's and Master's degrees that opened the door to her successful teaching career. She had a love for language and French culture and found ways to share that love throughout her career. Her belief was, as a teacher, to treat her students as the adults they were about to become. Students felt comfortable with her honesty and gained the confidence they needed to speak the language. As a testament to her talent for teaching, her students have gone on to spend semesters in France, study in French Universities, and even settle in France and other parts of the world. Her classes were always full of songs, presentations, group participation, and laughter. France was a creative spirit and a lover of all things that grow. She was a talented ceramic artist and potter with over 30 years of experience. She acquired the ownership of The Fire Works in Worcester, a pottery studio that provided artists and students a place to discover the beauty of working with clay. She also was a dedicated Bonsai artist and found great joy in tending her many plants and gardens to perfection. France had "une joie de vivre" and wanted everyone to share that joy. She adored her grandchildren, Anila and Orion, and had an unquestionable love for her children. Paul and France shared everything in their lives and were bonded by their two souls that touched on that first train ride. Many will miss her adventurous spirit.