Beth Murphy dies. Murphy’s Bleachers owner was 68 years old

Beth Murphy was more than the owner of Murphy’s Breachers, a rooftop tavern across from Wrigley Field. She was a neighborhood icon around the ballpark.

While she was chosen as a spokeswoman among rooftop owners in their fight with the Cubs over signs that could block their view, she has also been the spokeswoman for ballpark renovations, introducing concerts and expanding the number of night games. Advocated for both business owners and residents. friendly boundaries.

“She was often the only woman in the room. Trust me, she never took the back seat,” said Aldo. Tom Tunney, 44 place). “And, you know, she was tough. Chicago was tough, no-nonsense, and in some ways the bane of the Cubs, but she was loved and respected by her community and residents.”

Mrs. Murphy had good intentions.

She grew up a Cubs fan on the North Side. After she graduated from Northwestern University with a journalism degree, she moved into an apartment across the street from Wrigley. Before she took a job at Long Her Grove her Confectionery, she worked as a buyer in her field of Marshalls, dealing in modern dresses and gourmet foods. She caught a fly ball at Wrigley. And after she married Jim Murphy, a former Chicago cop who bought the bar in 1980 and renamed it Murphy’s Bleachers, as the two worked to improve the bar and the area around Wrigley Field, she eventually became his right-hand man.

When her husband died in 2003, she took the reins.

“She was an icon,” Cubs vice president Mike Rufrano said. “I always tried to get it, and her advice was usually right. She understood the relationship between the Cubs and the community, and she just wanted to see the Cubs win.”

Mrs. Murphy died Monday morning at Rush University Medical Center after a long battle with cancer. She was 68 years old.

Her family kept the conversation away from rehashing old issues with the Cubs, highlighting their great relationship in recent years.

and the cubs honor Mrs. Murphy In a way only the Cubs can: An iconic marquee outside Wrigley on Monday showed her name and her birth and death years.

Mrs. Murphy loved Murphy’s Bleachers and ran the business with her stepson James and Brian Murphy.

“I think you can’t help but love this place, the neighborhood’s thrilling structure,” said her brother, Frank Newell.

A high-profile cast including Cubs players and other celebrities regularly visited her bar, but some of her favorites are former Cubs pitcher Rick Sutcliffe, actress Bonnie Hunt and former Blackhawks. defenseman Chris Chelios and Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder.

One of her favorite stories was when Pearl Jam rehearsed on the roof of Murphy’s Bleachers in 2016.

“Five minutes before the band showed up, there were 30 security guards in black suits and earpieces who looked like they were coming out of a manhole. Fans were climbing the pole to the roof,” said his brother David Newell.

“And she believed in treating employees well,” he said. “She had no problem hiring people that many other places had…many of her employees have health insurance, which is almost unheard of in the bar industry.” is.”

After winning the Cubs World Series in 2016, which brought a lot of business to the bar, Mrs. Murphy donated thousands of dollars to programming in nearby schools, her family said.

“I will miss her at every community meeting. Watching her water the flowers outside Murphy’s Bleachers, watching her watch over us and advocate for our neighborhood.” I miss knowing that,” said Rufrano.

Murphy’s Bleachers is located on Sheffield Avenue and Waveland Avenue. The family also runs Mrs. Murphy & Sons’ Irish Her Bistro at 3905 N. Lincoln Ave.

James Murphy said on Monday, “I got a text from her go-go dance teacher that said she was ‘generous, feisty, a little goofy and called it what she saw.’ It’s almost right.” I think.

Mrs. Murphy lived with her husband for many years in a house near Rockwell Avenue and Wilson Avenue, but after she became a widow, she moved into a condominium near Ashland Avenue and Grace Street.

Mrs. Murphy was often seen in the office of Murphy’s Bleachers with her pet dog, Ivy.

“I was fortunate to be her next-door neighbor and comrade-in-arms in the community,” said Joe Shanahan, founder of Smart Bar and Metro. He recalled sitting next to Mrs. Murphy at her community meetings focused on everything from safety to traffic. “This is a big loss for us.”

We are planning a service.