"Among the many wonderful memories of Father D here are two that come to mind immediately. He took a gaggle of Mannel children to see The Sound of Music at the Collingswood theatre - I still remember it to this day - being treated to a movie by a priest! The other fond memory is the trip by the same gaggle of Mannel children, parents in tow, to visit his Connecticut family. We had a great time in the lake, sleeping on the screened in porch and generally being care free. What an adventure and fond memories of our extended Connecticut family! I feel extremely blessed to have known Bob, to have had his friendship and guidance to me personally and to our family.Michele Mannel"
In loving memory of
Fr. Robert John Dunphy
January 12, 1938 - November 27, 2016
Fr. Robert John Dunphy, 78, of Portsmouth died Sunday, November 27, 2016 peacefully, at home in Portsmouth after a heroic battle with cancer. Fr. Dunphy was born January 12, 1938 in Waterbury, CT, the son of the late John and Lucy (Kennedy) Dunphy. He attended St. Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, PA and was ordained in 1965 in Camden, NJ. He received his Master's in Counseling at Iona College, in New Rochelle, NY in 1971. He served in the Camden Diocese in NJ as a priest, pastor, and counselor until his retirement in 2010. He continued his priestly service at multiple parishes on Aquidneck Island in RI.He is survived by his dear friend of many years Susan Nevins of Portsmouth and his cousins, Patricia Quinn and her husband Dick of Middletown, RI, Paul Caffrey of Bergrheinfeld, Germany, Barbara Alves and her husband Sandy of Watertown, CT, Sean Caffrey and his wife Linda of Los Angeles, CA, and the late Mark Caffrey. He leaves behind his beloved pets and the many cousins and friends who have loved and supported him during his ministry.Calling hours will be held on Tuesday, December 6, 2016, from 5-7pm in Connors Funeral Home, 55 West Main Road, Portsmouth, RI.Calling hours will also be held on Wednesday, December 7, 2016, from 10:30 - 12:00PM in St. Barnabas Church, 1697 East Main Road, Portsmouth, followed by his Mass of Christian Burial at 12PM.Burial will be in St. Columba Cemetery, Browns Lane, Middletown.In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in his name to St. Vincent's Seminary, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe, PA 15650-2690 or Sacred Heart School, c/o Gail Gooney, 1739 Ferry Avenue, Camden, NJ 08104. Cemetery Details St. Columba Catholic Cemetery Brown's Lane Middletown, RI, 02842 Visitation DEC 6. 05:00 PM - 07:00 PM Connors Funeral Home 55 West Main Road Portsmouth, RI, US, 02871 info@memorialfuneralhome.com http://www.connorsfuneralhome.com Visitation DEC 7. 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM St. Barnabas Catholic Church 1697 East Main Road Portsmouth, RI, US Service DEC 7. 12:00 PM St. Barnabas Catholic Church 1697 East Main Road Portsmouth, RI, US
Tributes
"To the family of Father Dunphy,We will remember him fondly as a priest at Sacred Heart, Mount Ephraim, NJ. He will be in our prayers. Sincere condolences.John & Debbie Kendall"
"Life has been so much fuller in having known a gentle giant of the priesthood, Bob Dunphy. We pray that God, in his infinite wisdom, will give Bob much more than just a peek at Jesus. All our love. Joe, Dot and the Juliani family."
"Please accept our heartfelt condolences on the passing of Fr. Dunphy. Though we shared a surname, we were unrelated but he soon became a fast friend to our entire family while he was at Queen of Heaven. Our friendship continued through the years and he officiated at many baptisms and weddings. He was always there to celebrate the joys and to comfort during tough times. His friendship meant a great deal to all of us but especially Mom and Dad. We have maintained contact over the years and Mom always enjoyed talking with him and catching up. So we will remember him in our prayers and hold tight to our cherished memories. Dawn-Marie Dunphy HigginsCherry Hill, NJ"
"Dear Dunphy family: I wish to convey my sincerest condolences to your entire family. Losing a loved one in death is one is one of the hardest things that anyone will ever have to deal with. There is a great hope held out to us for the future because God promises to bring those we lost back to life by means of a resurrection to a paradise earth, where sickness and death will be no more. I hope this brief message will bring you a measure of comfort in this difficult time."
"We enjoyed sharing dinner with you and Fr. Bob. Pat and Dick have shared childhood memories with us about Bob and I am sure he will be missed very much. This morning, at my prayer group, I shared that we prayed for him Sunday afternoon just before his death. Many of the women shared their thoughts about his jokes during his homilies at St. Joseph's church.You are in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. Carm and Don Dietrick"