Céline Murphy died peacefully on August 16 at 89 years of age in Flagstaff, Arizona, her home for 30 years.

Born Céline Marie Louise Masse in Trois-Rivières, Quebec on January 27, 1937. The city is the second-oldest in Quebec, known for its pulp and paper industries. She grew up on ice hockey, her mother Marguerite playing Chopin on the piano, and the strict instruction of nuns and thick wool school uniforms. She trained as a nurse and immigrated to the United States with her sisters, working as a surgeon’s assistant in Los Angeles — with an MG Midget as wheels, California sun overhead.

After moving to New York, ever adventurous, she met James Thomas Murphy, whom she married in 1962 at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan. They were inseparable for 62 years of marriage until James died in March of 2025. They raised their family in Kansas City, Denver, and Evergreen, Colorado, in a modern home she designed herself after studying interior design.

Céline was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, friend, and host. She cooked, entertained, collected art, fed countless birds, volunteered in hospice, was a devout Christian dedicated to her faith, and could learn a stranger’s whole life story in five minutes. She kept the French-Canadian traditions of her childhood when her own children were young, especially le réveillon on Christmas Eve.

She is survived by her son Gregory, her daughter Claudine, and three adored grandchildren, Sebastian, Darby, and Jack.

A memorial service will be held at Norvel Owens, 914 E. Route 66 in Flagstaff, AZ 86001 on September 26 at 2pm.