Roy Murphy's difficult childhood, marked by an abduction followed by being placed in an orphanage, left him deeply affected. This experience led Roy Murphy to make a solemn commitment: I will never be the person who creates chaos. I will be a steady presence for my family. To uphold this promise, he became intensely focused on his career, seeing professional achievement as his primary source of security. By working tirelessly, he believed that financial success was a substitute for being emotionally present at home. This approach proved unsustainable, and his marriage suffered quietly.
The turning point was a painful realization that his "rock-solid" commitment had become a justification for personal unhappiness. Torn between the fearful younger self ("Voice of the Vow") and the adult who longed for a full life ("Voice of the Self"), he had to acknowledge that his pursuit of a perfect structure was flawed. To secure his future happiness, Roy had to make the difficult choice to move past the trauma of his youth. In finding inner peace by accepting his reality, understanding that his true strength was internal, and not dependent on an outward façade of perfection. Roy learned that his past was not a permanent sentence.
About the Author :
About Me
Roy J. Murphy, CPP is an accomplished author, retired Chief of Police, with over 50 plus years of professional law enforcement and Corporate Security experience, whose life story is a testament to his resilience, personal reinvention, and the pursuit of peace. His memoir, "A Memorandum from THE ORPHANAGE," chronicles a journey from a difficult childhood to a decades-long career in law enforcement, corporate and academic security & safety.
Roy's early life was shaped by profound experiences, including an early-age bout with Black Diphtheria, a life threatening illness, a period of being removed from his family, and two formative years at the St. Francis Orphanage in Boston. This foundation instilled a lifelong commitment to stability and self-reliance, which became a driving force in his career.
A Distinguished Career Path:
Law Enforcement: Roy began his professional career in 1966, graduating from the Massachusetts State Police Academy, 43rd local police officers class and then serving for 14 years with the Lexington Police Department.
Corporate & Security: He transitioned into corporate security, holding senior level professional roles at major companies like Honeywell Electro-Optics Division in Lexington, MA, and later serving as the Transition Manager of Security, Safety, and Administrative Services for Aetna/U.S. Healthcare in Blue Bell, PA. He then served as the Aetna Corporate Security Director in Hartford, CT.
Academic Security: His career then moved into higher education, where he spent a decade at Berklee College of Music; He served as the Senior Director of Public safety and Chief of Police. In 2008, he created the college's first sworn Public Safety Department. He then served as the interim Director of Campus Safety for almost a year at Connecticut College in New London, CT.
Consulting & Post-Retirement Work: After establishing his consulting firm, Murphy & Associates, Security and Public Safety Consultants, he performed on site effectiveness audits of college public safety programs at the request of senior college management. Roy continued to work, which included time as a courier for time-critical logistics company Bullet Courier and then a part-time role delivering law enforcement and emergency services vehicles, for Colonial Municipal Group (CMG), in Plymouth, where he affectionately nicknamed his female colleagues "Roy's Angels, " we continue to remain close.
Roy received his BSBA with honors from Northeastern University and his MBA from Anna Maria College. He later went on to attend Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.
Roy lives in Massachusetts, where he found his second wind and defined peace on his own terms following a major life change. His book is the culmination of his life's reflection, exploring the theme that one's past is not a permanent sentence, but a foundational learning experience.
