Terrence Murphy has spent a lifetime giving back to his community.
As the third of nine children in a busy Irish Catholic household in Seaford, Murphy watched his father, an elected leader, a jurist and a longtime American Legion commander, help shape not only the laws of the state but the civic heart of his hometown.
George Austin Murphy, Terrence’s father, was a member of the State Assembly from 1973 to 1978. In November 1978 he was elected to the State Supreme Court. He was re-elected in 1992, and retired in 1998.
In the Murphy home, Terence recalled, “Dad may have been the general, but Mom was the drill sergeant.” Growing up in a large household, he said, taught him the importance of working as both an individual and as part of a collective.
Now 70, Murphy has taken up that mantle of responsibility in more ways than one, as a military veteran who served at home and abroad, and as the longtime commander of Seaford American Legion Post 1132.
“It’s always in the back of your mind — what your parents did, what their experiences were,” he said. “I didn’t know what I wanted to be, but I wanted to be all that I could be.”
For all he has done over the years for his hometown, the Herald is proud to name Murphy its 2025 Person of the Year.
He joined the Army shortly after graduating from Seaford High School in 1973. He served in German until 1976, after working as a mailman for several years, he returned as a judge advocate general in the Army Reserves for 24 years, until 2015.
“Our responsibility was to help move equipment in and out of Afghanistan,” he said of his work as a JAG officer. “It was a different kind of service — but it was critical.”
Murphy’s interest in military service, he said, developed early. A cousin served in Vietnam, and a neighborhood friend named Danny Glading was killed there. His father served as commander of both the Seaford and Nassau County American Legion.
The Seaford legion once met at the Seaford Habor Civic Association building on Riverside Avenue. Murphy credits his father and others with raising the money and manpower to build the post’s current home on Penatiquit Avenue, which was built around 60 years ago.
Inside the building today, the walls are decorated with flags and patriotic posters, and photos of past commanders — including his father’s — line a hallway. A bar sits in one corner. A large event hall, currently decorated for the holidays, hosts everything from luncheons to birthday parties.
“I have great memories as a child of being here,” Murphy said, recalling his childhood experiences, which featured picnics, a drum and bugle corps and lessons in Morse code. “I have a responsibility now not to let the post fall into disrepair. That’s really it.”
As commander, he sees that responsibility as both practical and personal. He organizes regular cleanups and oversees maintenance. He opens the doors to neighbors who need a venue for special events. And he still chairs meetings on the first and third Wednesday of every month.
Under Murphy’s leadership, Post 1132 remains a vital part of Seaford’s civic life. It co-sponsors the annual Memorial Day Parade, hosts a Veterans Day service and organizes an essay contest for fourth- and fifth-graders.
“We give them a patriotic question,” he said. “Something like, ‘Why is America great?’ And they offer their own understanding of what this country means to them.”
Each year around Thanksgiving the post also welcomes veterans from nearby institutions, such as the Stony Brook veterans home and Northport VA hospital, for a turkey dinner with all the fixings. “They came out here and we gave them a meal, a small gift bag — just something to show appreciation and gratitude,” Murphy said. “The response was wonderful.”
Like many civic groups, however, the post has faced declining membership. There were once nearly 400 members, he said, and there are now about 65, and just a dozen or so who regularly attend meetings.
“We can’t do as much as we once were able to do with regard to veterans,” he said. “But our mission is still to never forget the service of veterans.”
Murphy was elected to the New York State Supreme Court in 2024, and has just finished his first year. He served for as a Nassau County District court judge from 2010-2014 and after that 10 years as a Nassau County Court judge. He received his law degree from Touro Law School in 1993.
His decisions from the bench, like his military and civic service, have been shaped by a deep sense of fairness and duty. “Being part of a big family, growing up in Seaford, it teaches you about collective responsibility,” Murphy said. “You have your own duties, but you’re also contributing to the success of the whole household.”
Bill Hoehn, a fellow veteran and a past post commander, said that Murphy is the one everyone calls when something needs to get done. “He’s a great guy — always helpful,” said Hoehn, who served in the Army in Germany during the Vietnam War. “If you need something, call Terry.”
Hoehn recalled a time when his lawnmower wouldn’t start, and Murphy came over to help fix it. “Together we got it started,” Hoehn said.
Murphy, Hoehn added, has a way of rallying people, even when they don’t want to be rallied. “He’s very capable of getting people to do things — even if they don’t want to,” he said with a laugh.
Murphy acknowledges that in the minds of many, the American Legion has a dated image as “a bunch of old guys telling war stories, having a drink or two and then going home,” but he insists that it serves a broader purpose. “It’s a community-based organization that ties the fabric of the community together,” he said. “It’s a place where people can come to meet and greet, talk and work together.”
And for Murphy, it’s personal. “My father, although not a founding member, was one of the earliest members of the post,” he said. “He had a great influence and a great impact. I feel it’s my duty to carry that forward.”
