Carol MacIver Murphy

LENOX, Mass. – Carol MacIver Murphy, mother of three and retired librarian, passed away peacefully at home in Lenox, Mass., on June 12, at age 90. Born in Portland, Main., in 1933, she was the daughter of the late L. Leslie “Mac” and Gertrude Hogan MacIver.

She attended schools in Portland, graduating from Deering High School in 1951. From there she went to Colby College in Waterville, Maine, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1955 with a major in sociology.

Following college, she moved to Boston where she worked for the telephone company and later for several years in the public relations department at the Arthur D. Little Company in Cambridge, Mass. In the mid-1960s, she changed her focus and enrolled at Simmons College in Boston and received a master’s degree in library science.

She worked as a librarian for the remainder of her career, initially at the Milwaukee (Wis.) Public Library and then the Bridgeport (Conn.) Public Library before moving to Northampton, Mass. There she served in school libraries before becoming manager of circulation at Forbes Library in Northampton, a position she held for eight years before retiring in 1997.

Carol was a person of many talents and interests. An accomplished pianist and lover of music, she was active in the glee club at Colby, enjoyed Boston Symphony Orchestra concerts in Boston and at Tanglewood in Lenox, Mass.; played in the bell choir at the First Churches in Northampton; and listened to classical music on WFCR Radio.

She was also a participant in activities at First Churches, including as a member of the mission committee. In addition, during her 50 years in Northampton she was also active with various organizations, including the League of Women Voters, the Jackson Street School Parent-Teacher Organization, the Swim Team Parents Association at the Hampshire Regional YMCA, and the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill.

She enjoyed trips to museums, walks in parks, watching tides roll in, theatrical performances, concerts, cooking and baking, travel, cross-country trips, camping, swimming, skiing, and any number of what might be thought of as minor pleasures, such as ice cream cones and chocolate chip cookies. What she might have seen as her ultimate outing–in addition to her tour of Europe in her 20s– was a cross-country family camping trip years later, with a pop-up camper in tow, to Wyoming to see the Grand Tetons and take a raft ride through “mild” rapids on the Snake River. Added into the Wyoming trip was car-ferry ride across Lake Michigan on the way west.

She is survived by her loving husband of 58 years, Keirnan Murphy of Lenox; daughter Kate DaFonte and husband Tom of Pittsfield, Mass., and son David and husband George Camarda of New York, N.Y. She was predeceased by her elder daughter, Lisa.

Carol’s burial will be private, and there are no calling hours. A celebration of her life will be held from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 20, in the Wiggins Tavern of the Hotel Northampton, located at 36 King Street in downtown Northampton.

Dery Funeral Home has been entrusted with her arrangements.

In lieu of flowers,

memorial donations may be made to:

Forbes Library

20 West St.

Northampton, MA 01060.

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