PEABODY — As family, friends, students, teachers and many more made their way into City Hall for superintendent Cara Murtagh’s funeral service, the walls were adorned with reminders of her impact on the community.
Giant poster boards with a Tanners logo said “Peabody Strong” and were signed by visitors of Thursday’s wake and Friday’s funeral service. Other signs had drawings from Peabody students and said things like “fly high” and “we love and miss you,” all written with heavy hearts.
Higgins Auditorium was filled to capacity to mourn the loss of Murtagh, who died unexpectedly last week at age 44, in a service led by Reverend Paul E. Ritt of Lynnfield Catholic Collaborative. More members of the community overflowed into Parish of St. John the Baptist church next door.
Ritt, who has known Murtagh’s mother Carol for 40 years, provided comfort through faith to a family and a city in mourning.
“Why did this have to happen to Cara?” he said. “Other questions might be, why do the good die young? Why do bad things happen to such good people. Frankly my friends, there really are no satisfying answers here. Answers to these why questions are some of the things God has not revealed.
“But Children of God, people of faith do know where God is today,” Ritt continued. “And what God is doing for us now and will do us good in the days to come. The Lord Jesus Christ once said, ‘Where two or three gather in my name, there am I in their midst.’ Well friends, we are way over that quorum, with a crowd size today that would probably make Cara blush. But we know in faith that Christ is with us here, to comfort us, reassure us and point the way forward.”
Stories of Murtagh’s passion for teaching were shared, which started at a young age when she attended Lady of the Assumption Parochial School in Lynnfield, part of Ritts’ parish.
Murtagh attended Bishop Fenwick High School where she graduated with honors in 1993. From there she continued to excel at Emmanuel College, where she graduated with a degree in education and, after her graduate degree, was currently enrolled in a doctorate program.
From there Cara followed in her father John’s footsteps as an educator, teaching at the St. John’s Elementary and Carroll School in Peabody. Soon after her passion and the motto she worked by, “Remember, the kids always come first.” helped drive her through the ranks to superintendent.
“I think that the last few decades give every bit of evidence that Cara gave her all so that the students entrusted to her could reach their potential in the classroom and far beyond,” Ritt said.
And those students, young and old, and their families came out in full force throughout the community in tribute to the woman who gave so much back to them.
After the service the Peabody High School band was set up across the street to play and honor Murtagh. On the way to her final resting place at Cedar Grove Cemetery firefighters, police, students and families lined the sidewalks of Lynn Street to say their final goodbyes.
Daniel Kane can be reached at [email protected].
