Rachel L. (Lewis) Murphy, a long-time Bedford resident and active community member, died on Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023. She was the beloved wife of the late Lt. Col. Edward M. Murphy III.
Rachel Murphy lived in Bedford for almost 50 years, and during most of that time, she was a leading advocate for fairness, diversity, and harmony. A founding member of Concerned Black Citizens of Bedford, she was an early supporter of METCO and a resource for Black History Month. She spoke and sang at the first Martin Luther King, Jr. community breakfast.
Rachel was loving mother of Dawn of Tewksbury, Denita of Wrentham, Edward M. IV and his wife Ligia of Dorchester, and Crystal and her husband Jonathan of Medway. She was the grandmother of Aiesha, Andrew, Olivia, Mackensie, Mykia, and Gavin and sister of the late Gloria Willis, Harry Lewis, Jr., and Q.Maxie Lewis. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews.
Rachel was born Sept. 23, 1942. She was married for 56½ years and loved raising her family and spending time with her grandchildren.
Visiting hours will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 7 at the Shawsheen Funeral Home,
On Friday, Dec. 8, a funeral procession will leave at 9:30 a.m. from the Shawsheen Funeral Home, 281 Great Rd., Bedford. A funeral service will begin at 10 a.m. at the First Baptist Church of Bedford, 155 Concord Rd. Burial will be at 1:45 p.m. at the Massachusetts National Cemetery, Connery Ave., Buzzards Bay.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Bedford Free Public Library or any organization that plants a tree are appreciated.
Rachel shared her story about living in Bedford in a Bedford Citizen article in 2021.
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Lovingly submitted.