STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — At the time Charles Murphy was born in 1929, West Brighton was beginning to boom. Since the turn of the century, the steeples of Sacred Heart Church and the tower of Staten Island Hospital—now Richmond University Medical Center—had already become familiar landmarks, visible across the neighborhood and even from passing ships. The blocks were dense and walkable, as they are today, but back then it was the kind of place where everyone knew the pharmacist, the butcher and the soda‑jerk at Bement Pharmacy.
Mr. Murphy, a lifelong Staten Islander, Army veteran, attorney and all-around gentleman, died peacefully in his sleep on Feb. 9. He was 97.
The Murphy family growing up in 1930s Staten Island—a snapshot from the early West Brighton years.(Courtesy of the Murphy family)Knowing people and being known
Mr. Murphy grew up at the corner of Forest and North Mada Avenues and attended Sacred Heart School. Back then, North Mada was still a dirt road. In 1941, he took his first job working the soda fountain at Bement Pharmacy—the kind of neighborhood post that shaped his lifelong habit of knowing people by name and being known in return.
Charles was known as “Knute,” a nickname taken from Knute Knudsen, a character in the 1930s comic strip Harold Teen by cartoonist Carl Ed, and bestowed upon him by his brothers Frank and Jack (who later served in Congress). In his later years, he became a familiar face at Cole’s Dockside in Great Kills Harbor, where he liked to sit with a view of the water. After his wife Brenda’s death, he visited nightly—a steady routine that brought him comfort and community.
The Murphy family, circa 1945.(Courtesy of the Murphy family)
One of the most vivid portraits of Mr. Murphy in this chapter of his life appeared in a 2017 Advance/SILive.com feature by columnist Carol Ann Benanti. She wrote about the deep connection he and Brenda shared with Cole’s Dockside—a place where they often dined together and where conversation was its own ritual. After Brenda’s passing, the staff and regulars embraced Mr. Murphy as family. During those solo dinners, as a gesture of affection and respect, he was not presented with a bill—a kindness extended specifically during that period of his life.
As a regular, Charles “Knute” Murphy favored a table at Cole’s Dockside with a clear view of the harbor whenever he dined alone.
(Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
That seat is now empty.
When owner Larry Cole later sold the restaurant, he made sure the new owners understood that Mr. Murphy should always have a place at the table—a promise they honored.
“Magic Mike” Lane, Cole’s longtime bartender and resident magician, said Mr. Murphy continued coming to the restaurant until about six weeks ago. He always drank water with his dinner—sometimes sparkling—and ate simply: a piece of chicken with vegetables, a piece of fish, and occasionally a filet mignon. “Mr. Murphy was more than a customer—he was part of our restaurant family,” Magic Mike said. “It was 97 years well lived. We were honored to serve him and call him our friend.”
Charles “Knute” Murphy while at
LaSalle Military Academy.(Courtesy of the Murphy family)
“As sad as we are for his loss, we are grateful to have had him for such a long time,” said his daughter Katy Murphy. “He loved Cole’s because sometimes you want to go where everyone knows your name.”
Indeed, Larry Cole and his staff knew Murphy’s name—and Brenda’s. The now‑retired Cole first welcomed them at his original restaurant, Sweet Basil’s in Annadale, which he opened in 1986. When he later opened Cole’s Dockside—at 369 Cleveland Ave. in Great Kills, where it has always been—the Murphys followed him there as well.
“He lived a good life and we were delighted to have him from Day One,” Cole said.
Knute and Jack Murphy during the Korean War, 1952.(Courtesy of the Murphy family)Entrepreneurship and community appreciation
He attended Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where he met the love of his life, Brenda Casey. The couple married and shared 65 years together until her passing in 2016. After his Army service during the Korean War, they settled in Great Kills and raised five children.
As a second lieutenant, Mr. Murphy served as an infantry platoon leader, earning a Combat Infantryman’s Badge and Korean Service Medal. He later served in the Army Reserve, retiring as a captain. The GI Bill allowed him to continue his education; he earned a law degree from Fordham University and a master’s degree in labor law from New York University.
From left: St. Patrick’s Society members Mark, Knute, Steve and Tim.(Courtesy of the Murphy family)
Mr. Murphy worked in labor relations for Hertz and US Plywood before opening his own trucking company, Cleveland General Transport, which he operated for 40 years. He was known for his fairness, his calm under pressure, and his ability to navigate difficult negotiations with a steady hand.
After retirement, he remained active in the community, especially with the Cespino-Russo American Legion Post. He enjoyed world travel, golf, fishing, and bowling, and he formed lasting friendships at the South Shore YMCA.
Charles “Knute” Murphy was a Staten Island native who was born and raised in West Brighton.(Courtesy of the Murphy family)
Mr. Murphy is survived by his sister, Rose McBrien; his children George (Julia), Frank, Stephen, Madeleine, and Catherine “Katy”; six grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
The wake will be held at Casey McCallum Rice South Shore Funeral Home on Friday, February 13, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. The funeral Mass will be celebrated at Saint Claire Church on Nelson Avenue on Saturday, February 14, at 9:45 a.m.
Charles “Knute” Murphy at his regular table at Cole’s Dockside in Great Kills, where the harbor was his backdrop and conversation was never far away.(Courtesy of the Murphy Family)