Ellen S. Murphy Fund

The Foundation lost one of its own in 2008, Ellen S. Murphy, the coordinator of the Newport County Fund, the first regional fund set up by the Foundation. Newport was at the center of Ellen’s full and rewarding life. Her husband, Arthur, was stationed there in the Navy in 1962, and these newlyweds – who had met while sailing – decided to put down roots in the City by the Sea. Years later, Ellen, whose career reflected her many and diverse talents, would be known by many as the unofficial mayor of Newport. Arthur commenting on Ellen’s popularity in the City said, “If you walked from West Broadway to Ocean Drive, Ellen would know everyone along the way.”

It would have been easy for Ellen, who had worked for President Kennedy’s campaign and led the conversion of Newport’s Eisenhower House into a splendid setting for weddings and conventions, to spend most of her time with family and friends, traveling, golfing, and caring for her seven beloved grandchildren who eagerly anticipated their “Nana time.” While she did take enormous pleasure in family life, she also devoted herself to the underserved and underprivileged residents of Newport County. As the first coordinator of the Foundation’s Newport County Fund, Ellen spent untold hours encouraging and advising organizations dedicated to creating quality educational and out of school programs for the region’s most at-risk population: its youth. With Ellen’s guidance, the Newport County Fund made significant grants to organizations serving Newport County, including Newport’s Martin Luther King Community Center, the Jamestown Teen Center, and Tiverton’s community arts center. Human services programs also benefited from Ellen’s compassionate and sage advice. Foundation colleagues fondly remember her as a vibrant, caring colleague whose smile truly lit up the room.

“Ellen and I believed the true purpose of our lives was to raise our three children to be contributors to society and to instill in them proper values,” notes Arthur, who adds, “We complimented ourselves on our success.” Their three children will be the donor advisors of Ellen’s fund.

Ellen was dedicated to the growth of the Newport County Fund, which she considered a perfect paradigm for local philanthropy, and her family is confident that this fund will honor Ellen’s memory by addressing issues that mattered most to her, such as the advancement of women, quality public education, and broad access to the arts for residents of Newport County.

Return to Funds Page