NORTHAMPTON — A crowd gathered outside of City Hall on Saturday morning to celebrate the dedication of an adjacent street in honor of former mayor Sean Dunphy, who is frequently credited with ushering in a new era in Northampton.
A newly unveiled street sign next to City Hall now officially designates the road between the building and the Unitarian Society as “Mayor Sean Dunphy Way” in honor of the community figure.
The street sign was unveiled in front of an audience that included Dunphy’s family and friends, city officials and others who had known Dunphy either personally or through his accomplishments.
Dunphy served as mayor of Northampton from 1970 to 1976 — a time often characterized as the beginning of a revitalized downtown area.
“He saw early on that Northampton needed to grow with the times,” Dunphy’s daughter Elizabeth Dunphy said.
“My father believed in public service and giving back to the community,” she added. “He put 100 percent, 110 percent into everything he did.”
She described her father as a humble man, but believes he would have approved of the street dedication. She said her father “loved Northampton like a person” and remained invested in the city’s future throughout the entirety of his lifetime.
Dunphy served in judiciary roles later in his career, eventually becoming chief justice of the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court before retiring in 2007. He died in 2015 at age 74.
Mayor David Narkewicz suggested the location because it is situated “right in the heart of this town and right near City Hall, where (Dunphy) did so much for this city.”
Dunphy’s widow, Ann, also found the street dedication to be a fitting tribute for her husband, and said she instantly agreed when Narkewicz first came forward with the idea.
“Immediately, I said, ‘That’s it,’” she said.
Family members in attendance said the dedication’s turnout was a meaningful reminder of Dunphy’s prominent role in the community.
“I think (the turnout) shows how he had an impact on so many people,” said Dunphy’s grandson, also named Sean Dunphy.
For granddaughter Caitlin Creamer, “incredible” was the only word that came to mind.
“It’s always wonderful,” Dunphy’s daughter Jennifer Dunphy Bowers said. “Northampton has always been a wonderful town, and a very supportive town.”
Other individuals in attendance also paid tribute to Dunphy at the dedication.
“Sean Dunphy was never about ‘me,’ or ‘I,’” City Solicitor Tom Growhoski told the crowd. “He was about ‘we’ and ‘us.’”
Ward 3 City Councilor Jim Nash noted that he did not know Dunphy personally, but that attending the dedication allowed for him to see the impact that the street naming had on those who did.
“To see all the pride and happiness on their faces let me know I voted the right way,” Nash told the Gazette. “It made me proud of casting my vote to make this change.”
Michael T. Cahillane, chairman of the board of trustees at Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School, said he knew Dunphy as both a personal friend and through working to assist Dunphy in his community efforts.
“I was happy to support him in any way I could to help the city help the people,” Cahillane said.
Cahillane also characterized Dunphy as deeply invested in the city’s well-being on both a large and individual scale. Cahillane said he once spoke with Dunphy about Smith Vocational, assuming that Dunphy had perhaps five minutes to talk. Instead, Cahillane said he and Dunphy ended up conversing about the school for two hours.
Another street in Northampton, Dunphy Drive, is also named after Sean Dunphy, although it was designated by the developer of the surrounding subdivision. Mayor Sean Dunphy Way, Narkewicz said, is the first street dedicated to Dunphy by the city.
For those who knew and loved Dunphy, Mayor Sean Dunphy Way will serve as a fixture of the former mayor’s lasting influence in the city.
“It’s wonderful to know my father will always be downtown in Northampton,” Elizabeth Dunphy said.
Jacquelyn Voghel can be reached at jvoghel@gazettenet.com.