By JUDY RATTNER
The longest-serving mayor in the village is stepping down late this month after more than 20 years of service.
The festivities began with a 5 p.m. Mass at St. Agnes Cathedral, celebrating Murray's life of public service to the community. At 6 p.m. in the Parish Center, the tributes began as the Color Guard from the Rockville Centre Fire and Police departments, and the Nassau County Firefighters Pipe Band presented the flag for the Pledge of Allegiance and a salute. Acting Village Administrator and Village Comptroller Michael Schussheim handled the Master of Ceremonies role, setting the tone of the evening by saying, "This mayor was the mayor for one and all." Murray's long time secretary, Mary Rohrs read a moving tribute in both English and the language of her father, Italian, to her retiring boss. Francis Murray, one of the event's organizers, delivered a brief speech praising his father's long service. Then former village administrator, Anthony Cancellieri , who spent many years working side by side with the mayor, presented the keynote address.
"The mayor is a humble man who understood, clearly, his role," said Cancellieri. "He understood his role to serve the people."
Cancellieri said that the days, weeks and months following the attacks of September 11 were the mayor's shining moments. As the president of the Rockville Centre Community Fund, the mayor was able to establish the special "We Care" fund to help those in the community who needed assistance. "He was there for each and every one. He helped people with respect and dignity, neighbor to neighbor. All of us in this room have been touched in some way by this man." Describing Rockville Centre as one of the most admired communities in the state of New York, he said the village "is a better place because of this mayor."
For his part, the mayor thanked all those in attendance, saying, "You never do it alone. Without you, I couldn't have done it, I needed your support, anybody in government needs the support of the people." Murray had special thanks for his family and his wife, Mary Lou, and reminisced about meeting, courting and marrying her on December 27, 60 years ago this year.
The mayor also mentioned NYCOM, the New York Conference of Mayors, of which he is a past president, saying it is a great organization that helped him as he governed Rockville Centre. Several mayors from municipalities in different parts of New York were among those in the audience.
"It's been an honor and a pleasure to be elected by you and to serve you," Murray told the crowd."It's been a very humbling evening, so many beautiful people, family, friends, " he added later. "It's been a wonderful, wonderful 23 years, working with so many people and the residents."
In a surprise move, the Rockville Centre Village Board of Trustees came to the podium to read a proclamation, passed unanimously, to rename village hall Eugene J. Murray Village Hall. In remarks before he read part of the proclamation, Deputy Mayor Wayne Lipton said that Mayor Murray will be a tough act to follow and the board felt that it was appropriate, as one last act, to name village hall in honor of Rockville Centre's longest serving mayor.
Schussheim said, "Words can't adequately express what Eugene J. Murray meant to the village for the past 20 plus years. The naming of village hall after Eugene J. Murray will serve as a reminder to all of this mayor's successors as to how to perform the role of mayor of Rockville Centre."
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