‘His purpose: to serve others’

How do you celebrate a milestone birthday for Rockville Centre’s longest-serving mayor? A surprise party at Village Hall, of course.

Former Mayor Gene Murray celebrated his 90th birthday on Monday. More than 50 people attended the party, including his son, Francis X. Murray, the current mayor, as well as the board of trustees, the extended Murray family and other village officials.

“His purpose: to serve others,” Francis said of his father. “To marry the love of his [life], Mary Lou, to raise a family — or in his case, an army. And go on making a huge difference in his beloved community of Rockville Centre. Ninety years later, he sits in the building now named for him with family, friends to celebrate this milestone. There are no adversaries or naysayers here today. Dad, congratulations, you’ve outlived all of them.”

Gene Murray was born on Aug. 10, 1925, at Mercy Medical Center — then in Hempstead. He was the ninth of 13 children. He became a firefighter at 16, when there was a shortage of young men because of the World War II draft, joining Hook, Ladder and Bucket Company No. 1. “Of course, at 16, he joined illegally,” Francis said. “But nobody cared. Today he’s still an active member of that company.”

At 18, Gene joined his five older brothers to fight in the war. After it was over he met his future wife, Mary Lou Bernhardi. They married on Dec. 27, 1947, at St. Raymond’s Church in East Rockaway. They had eight children.

“See, my dad came home for lunch every day,” Francis joked. “Finally one day, my mother locked him out from lunch, and yelled through the door, ‘Find another hobby, Eugene!’ And that’s why there’s eight of us instead of nine.”

Gene did find a hobby, his son said: He worked his way through the Rockville Centre Fire Department, eventually becoming chief. Then, after becoming a village trustee, he was elected mayor in 1987, and remained in office until 2007.

“Over the next 20 years, Rockville Centre came to know what his family had known all along,” Francis said. “They had the best of the best looking out for them.” His father’s leadership skills were apparent in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, he recalled, when Gene and the We Care Committee helped victims’ families. He also created the RVC Community Fund, which has raised $1 million to help village residents facing financial emergencies.

“I want to hug you, but I don’t know where to begin,” Gene joked after his son’s speech.

He added that he had had “a long, long, very good run as your mayor. I enjoyed every bit of it.” Village employees, he said, were the most wonderful and dedicated people, and the village has grown for the better.

His great-granddaughters then came forward to hug him.