Farewell to Murphy

Our beloved golden retriever, Murphy, recently passed away. He had been a wonderful member of our family for 13 years.

Murphy was our third golden retriever. He brightened our lives with sweetness and goodness. The only thing he ever asked from us was to be petted. He could never get enough. If I was siting in my chair reading or watching TV, he would come to me, put his nose under my arm and push upward, signaling that it was time to pet!

I blogged about Murphy a few years ago, when he was spending the summer at our New Hampshire lake house. When he was young he would jump in the lake and chase the ducks. As he grew older, he finally realized that he would never catch them. So, he just lay out the dock and watched them swim by.

It seemed that everyone he met became a fan and really loved him. Six months ago he underwent surgery at a large veterinary hospital in Maryland. As he was recovering, the lead vet had Murphy join him as he made the rounds to see the other sick animals.

The local veterinary doctor who treated him in his final days wrote, "Murphy was such a sweet dog. He was always a joy to see here at our clinic. I know he will be missed."

I'm sure if Murphy had been a person, his personality and love of people would have made him a great hotel executive. Our family truly loved Murphy; he never wanted anything, but our love. We really miss him.

I'm Bill Marriott and thanks for helping me keep Marriott on the Move.

This post first appeared on MarriottOnTheMove.com.