MURTAGH, Thomas Richard, 80, of Lexington, MA died on September 23, 2024. Thomas
was born in Rahway, NJ on February 11, 1944 to Thomas and Marie Murtagh. He
attended Saint Peter's Preparatory School in NJ where he excelled academically and on
the baseball field and the basketball court. It was during these high school years that
Thomas met Joan Cacioli, the love of his life. He earned his B.S. from Saint Peter's
College in New Jersey in 1966. Tom and Joan were married in 1966 and subsequently
moved to Boston where he had a full scholarship to attend Boston College Law School,
from which he earned his JD (1969) and served as an editor of the Law Review.
Thomas joined Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. where he led a
distinguished career as a skilled trial attorney for 35 years. He served many years as
the Litigation Section Manager and Chairman. During his time at Mintz, he represented
numerous public and private companies and practiced broadly in State and Federal
courts. Thomas was actively involved in, and held leadership positions at, the Greater
Boston YMCA, the Boston Bar Association and the Boston Bar Foundation. He was
appointed as an Associate Justice to the Superior Court of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts in 2004, a position he held until his retirement in 2014. Those who knew
Tom understood how important this service to the community was, and how perfectly fit
he was for his role on the bench.

Thomas was recognized, and will be remembered, for his keen intellect, integrity,
fairness, hard work ethic, generosity, sense of humor and kindness. But his true gift lay
in counseling others both professionally and personally. He served as a mentor, advisor
and teacher to countless colleagues and junior lawyers, including his daughter. He
made it possible for others to succeed and truly rejoiced in their success. Thomas
inspired others by serving as a role model. Despite his many accomplishments, he
remained humble. He respected others regardless of status, education or background,
often reminding his children of his modest beginnings.

During his retirement years, Tom became an avid golfer and enjoyed the challenge as
well as the comradery of the game. Thomas and Joan also enjoyed traveling with a
particular fondness for destinations featuring good food.

Thomas survived a physically debilitating stroke in 2019 which could not dampen his
fiery spirit and sense of humor. He will remain in our hearts forever.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Joan, his son and daughter-in-law, Thomas and Ann,
his daughter, Marisa, his grandchildren, Emily, Benjamin and William, and his sisters
Virginia Murtagh (NJ) and Noreen Potenza (NJ).

Relatives and friends kindly invited to attend Visiting hours on Friday, September 27, 2024 from 4-7 p.m. at Douglass Funeral Home, 51
Worthen Road, Lexington, MA. Memorial services will be held privately.