Colleen Margaret Murphy

October 19, 1950 - December 15, 2020

Colleen Margaret Murphy, age 70, passed away on Tuesday, December 15th, 2020, in Ocala, Florida, a lifelong resident of Dearborn, who retired to Florida in 2015. Colleen was born on October 19th, 1950, the daughter of Rosemary (Harrington) and James Murphy. Those who knew Colleen remark of her amazing and often incredibly animated stories she often told, along with her witty sense of humor and an even bigger heart. Colleen was truly an unforgettable force of nature and will live in the hearts of many. Colleen enjoyed reading, relaxing in her pool, and lively discussions about politics and current events, but her true love in life was her family, especially her children and granddaughters. Colleen was a longtime devoted employee and public servant of the City of Dearborn for over 23 years until retiring in 2011. She truly loved her job and was passionate about serving the city and residents of Dearborn. She knew everyone at city hall, along with the latest scoop. She was loved by colleagues and met many of her closest friends there, and was jokingly named “Miss Director of Information” by a coworker. Colleen is survived by her daughter Penny (David) Mills and son Jim (Jamie) Lane. Colleen was a devoted and loving “Mum mum” to her four Granddaughters; Cecilia, Rosemary, Bella, and Juliana Cantineri. She will be greatly missed by her sisters, Mary Margaret (Ken) Murphy and Patty (Denny) Clark, and her mother, Rosemary Murphy. She will be remembered as a loving aunt to nieces Meaghan Rahamut and Kelly (Paul) Kokozsyna. She is preceded in death by her father James Murphy, and former husband and lifelong close friend Mike Lane. Colleen signed every email and letter with “Carpe Diem” to express her desire to enjoy life while she could, and this is indeed how she lived her life - like every day was her last. A Funeral Mass for Colleen will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, June 4, 2021 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 22430 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn, Michigan 48124 Please take a moment to share a memory or a story about Colleen or a leave a condolence to the Murphy Family on Colleen’s Tribute Wall. In lieu of flowers, donations in Colleen’s memory can be made to Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit at https://www.metrodetroitanimals.org/get-involved/donate/make-a-donation.