Page 29 - MIN TTC
P. 29
LOCAL A13
Saturday 30 January 2016
After 53 Years;
The 3 Murphy Brothers Get Together in Aruba!
ORANJESTAD - All three This week was the first time The Murphy brothers, Billy, Jim and Mike celebrate Jim’s 60th birthday at the home of an Aruban
brothers were born in Aru- in 53 years that the broth- friend. For the first time in 53 years they reunited in Aruba where all three had been born.
ba. Michael “Mike” in 1954, ers were back in Aruba
James “Jim” in 1956 and together. For a very spe- (Photo Milagro Harms)
William “Billy” in 1961. Their cial occasion! Although
parents had met in Aruba Jim had never returned to
working for LAGO Oil and Aruba since 1963, he has
Transport Co. after serving come back with his wife
in the U.S Armed Forces Steph, who had never
during WW II. Thelma was a been to Aruba before, to
nurse at the Lago Hospital, celebrate his 6oth birthday.
and Bill was in the Comp- Mike and his wife spent their
troller’s Department. They honeymoon at the Divi Ho-
were married in 1950 in the tel in 1977 and has returned
Saint Therese Church in San several times on short visits
Nicolas where Bill sang in with cruise ships. Billy, on
the choir. the other hand, has been
Bill was in charge of the in- coming to Aruba regularly
troduction of the first com- since 2005, has made many
puter (IBM650) at Lago friends and has bought
before being transferred in timeshare with Marriott. The
1963 to Creole as the As- nexus with Aruba does not
sistant Comptroller in Ca- stop there. Amy (Murphy)
racas. After Caracas the and Kevin Emkey were
Murphy’s lived in Madrid, married October 2007 and
Spain; Southhampton, Eng- honeymooned at Marriott
land; and New Jersey, USA, Surf Club. David and Kar-
but never travelled back to en Murphy were married
Aruba. July 2010 and they stayed
at Playa Linda. Amy and Murphy family, and his wife
David are first and second Milagro hosted a casual
children of Michael and birthday dinner party at
Maggie Murphy. Billy him- their home at San Barbola
self came to Aruba to cele- Residences inviting many
brate his Big Five O in 2011. of Billy’s Aruban friends.
Undoubtedly, Billy orches- Jim, Steph and Mike have
trated the reunion in Aruba been very impressed by
to show his brothers why he Aruba, its cleanliness and
loves Aruba so much. its people. They enjoyed
Billy was to arrive on Satur- the day at the Renaissance
day the 23rd, but when he Island where they savored
found out about the threat a delicious fried fish. They
of the winter storm in the liked very much what they
New Jersey area, he ad- had seen in their first two
vanced his travel by two days here and looked for-
days. Had he not done so, ward to the planned tour of
he would have had to wait the island in an open jeep.
till Tuesday the 26thas his They especially liked the
flight was one of the more cordiality of Billy’s friends
than 4000 flights cancelled and intend to return to
on the 23rd. Clyde Harms, Aruba soon. clydeharms@
a longtime friend of the yahoo.comq
Jim Murphy celebrates his 60th birthday in Aruba. Here he’s being serenaded in English, Dutch,
Spanish and Papiamento by some of the local friends of the family: Michel and Tatiana Saade,
Maya Romero, Lilian Prince, Milagro Harms, Bobby and Vero Chemalie.
(Photo Steph Murphy)
