Obituary of Mary Elizabeth Murphy

MURPHY, Mary Elizabeth, Halifax, Nova Scotia passed away, peacefully at Northwood Halifax on July 25, 2023. Elizabeth, also known as Betty, was born on March 12th, 1926, in Detroit, Michigan. The daughter of the late Westly John Horsman and the late Mary Elizabeth Horsman (Peltier). Elizabeth’s father moved his family from New Brunswick to Detroit, Michigan, for employment in the automobile industry (where Elizabeth was born). The family later moved back to Moncton, New Brunswick where Elizabeth attended St. Bernard’s Catholic School. Her mother passed away when she was fourteen; at the time, being the oldest girl, Elizabeth helped care for her four younger siblings. Later, her father moved the family to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia for employment at the shipyards. Elizabeth stayed in New Brunswick where she worked; she lived in Moncton with her Aunt and Uncle. When her father remarried and his children came to live with him again, Elizabeth moved to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, to help her stepmother, the late Florence Horsman (Hampshire), with the younger siblings. Elizabeth worked part time at the Moir’s Chocolate Factory in Dartmouth, it was there she became friends with a woman who introduced her to the love of her life, Lawrence Murphy (known as Duke). They dated for a brief time, then were married. Duke built a house on Harbor Drive in Dartmouth, where they were raising their three children. Later they moved to Walton, Nova Scotia on the banks of the Fundy Basin, where their fourth child was born. In Walton, they had a small farm where they raised chickens, grew vegetables and fruit, and, for a brief time, ran a small convenience store, all the while Duke traveled back and forth to Halifax for work at the shipyards. Later, they moved to Hatchet Lake just outside of Halifax, NS, where their fifth child was born. When her husband passed away, and the children had moved out, Elizabeth moved to West End Halifax where she resided for fifteen years, from there, she moved to Timberlea Manor, Timberlea, N. S., and finally to Northwood Care, Halifax, N. S. Elizabeth is survived by her older brother, Stanley Horsman of Kitchener, Ontario; younger brother, John Horsman of Moncton, New Brunswick and her sister, Bernice Varbeff of Calgary, Alberta; her daughter, Mary Knox (Terry), Head of St. Margaret’s Bay, N. S., two sons, Lawrence Murphy (Heather) of Ottawa, Ontario, Douglas Murphy (Catherine) of Burton, New Brunswick, and her, like-a-daughter (daughter in-law) Susan Murphy of Hatchet Lake. Elizabeth was preceded by her husband Lawrence Joseph Murphy, her two sons, Edward, and Peter, Peters wife Cheryl Murphy (Eld) and grandson, Paul, her brothers, Walter Horsman, Dartmouth, N.S., Vincent Horsman, Oromocto, N.B., Paul Horsman, Moncton, N. B. Elizabeth will be missed by her children, her granddaughters Lynne Morash (David), Janis Poteri (Mike), Jessica Christie (Joel), Meghan and Karen Murphy; grandsons, Kris Knox (Annette), Michael Murphy (Lisa) of Ottawa, Ontario, Kyle Murphy, Halifax; great granddaughters, Ruby Christie, Cadence and Dawn Murphy, great grandsons, Brenden and Matthew Knox, Evan, and Ryan Morash. A family graveside service will be held at the Gates of Heaven Cemetery, Lower Sackville, N. S. later. The family would like to thank the Staff of Northwood Halifax for their care.