Edith Pierce Murphy, 65, of Rockland, died peacefully at her home on Aug. 26 due to complications associated with cancer.
Edie was born on May 2, 1944 in Wilmington, Del. She spent much of her childhood in Lincoln, Mass. and summers with her family on Mount Desert Island. She is the second of four children of Eliot and Dodie Pierce. Edie was a graduate of Concord Academy ’62 and Hollins College ’66, majoring in music.
After a number of years in Tomales, Cal., Edie and her family returned to the East Coast, living in Waldoboro from 1977-1999, before settling in Rockland. Edie worked as Registrar for the Farnsworth Art Museum, the Penobscot Marine Museum and did special projects for the Colby Museum, the Abby Museum and the Maine State Museum.
An avid gardener who believed in “working where the conditions were favorable,” hollyhocks, peonies and sweet peas were among the flowers she loved most.
A lover of all things Maine, Edie enjoyed the season’s cycles, bracing ocean swims in the summer as early as the water allowed, and walks and hikes year round, but especially early August when blueberries could be found along the way.
Always curious and interested in others’ lives, she was a spirited traveler, making numerous trips to Europe and Asia to visit family and friends.
Edie was a nurturing mother offering guidance and support, while encouraging independence. She was a keen observer and an appreciator of the simple things in life.
Edie is survived by her daughter, Leila Murphy of Rockland; son, Oren Murphy and daughter-in-law Ermina Sokou of Bangkok, Thailand; brother, Charlie E. Pierce, Jr. of Millbrook, N.Y.; sister, Joan Uraneck of South Portland; brother, Benjamin Pierce of Wynnewood, Penn.; and many other relatives and friends both near and far.
Memorial service 11 a.m., Sat., Sept. 26 at the Saltwater Farmhouse, 62 Mosquito Head Rd., Martinsville. Reception to follow. Parking is limited so carpooling is encouraged.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to The Friends of the Rockland Public Library, P.O. Box 764, Rockland, ME 04841 or the eHope Foundation, P.O. Box 7794, Portland, ME 04112.