Frances E. Murphy, 90, of Hoffman Estates and Albuquerque, a retired secretary, died of congestive heart failure Thursday, May 30, in her home in Hoffman Estates. Mrs. Murphy, who was born in Minneapolis, graduated from Joliet Township High School in 1930. After her mother had a stroke, Mrs. Murphy decided to forgo college to care for her. She took a job as a secretary with the Army Air Forces in Chicago. After marrying in 1946, Mrs. Murphy became a secretary for the Chicago Public Schools. Before her retirement in 1977, she worked as a secretary in a number of schools, among them Cregier and Foreman High Schools, Garvey Elementary School and Disney Magnet School. Mrs. Murphy still found time to volunteer for many community organizations. She taught teenage girls to sew at the St. Vincent DePaul Settlement House in Chicago and staffed the reception desk in Holy Family Medical Center in Des Plaines. After she moved to Albuquerque in 1978, Mrs. Murphy became a patient-care advocate. She also counseled unwed mothers and helped them find maternity and layette items. “Her generosity was boundless. She always put the needs and wants of others before hers,” said her daughter, Diana Enenstein. Mrs. Murphy is also survived by a son, Dean H. Jr., and six grandchildren. Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m. Friday in Ahlgrim & Sons Funeral Home, 330 W. Golf Rd., Schaumburg. Prayers will be said at 10:45 a.m. Saturday in the funeral home, followed by a mass at 11:30 a.m. in St. Hubert Catholic Church, 729 Grand Canyon Pkwy., Hoffman Estates.
