I am very honoured that I came face to face with the great Lou Murphy.
I first came to Saint John in the late 80s so therefore I really didn’t know this man.
I soon found out this he wrote as many letters to the editor as yours truly.
We became good friends and I used to pay him a visit in Milford one a month.
I would phone the guy and we would discuss different issues.
Who can forget the time he gave then Premier Frank McKenna a tongue lashing for the cuts at Saint Joe’s in the Legislature?
I have so many stories about this great man that maybe one day I’ll do a series in this paper.
The sad day that he took a heart attack and landed in the hospital.
His family allowed me to pay him a visit. There he was moving his head to the right and left. The family told me that he could hear me but couldn’t talk.
I quickly went to the washroom to dry my tears.
I grabbed him by the hand and told him that he was a great man and he helped a lot of people in Saint John.
I quickly turned away and waved to the family and left the hospital with tears.
He died a couple of days later and I must admit that I took his death very hard.
Donnie Coholan continues his tradition of lighting at MurphyVille during the Christmas Holidays and thousands of citizens still gathered around the huge
hill in Milford.
After the funeral, I confronted Frank McKenna and Doug Young and asked them what can we do for Lou Murphy?
Name the Harbour Bridge - The Lou Murphy Bridge? But then again, we will have to remove the tolls because he fought hard to remove them.
The story that got him so upset was the time a funeral possession went over the bridge and they had to stop so each vehicle would give a quarter.
That was too much for Lou.
Doug Young quickly told Frank that if the province would agree to take control of the cost of the bridge?
There shouldn’t be any problem.
Well, that didn’t work out but the area of Milford open a Lou Murphy park for the kids. What a great honour to a man who used to give money to the kids after a school year.
Yes, we will never see the likes of this man again.
Today will indeed be a time to reflect on a man who did so much for its citizens.
May God Bless the great Lou Murphy!
