Overview of the Department for Persons with Disabilities, Murray House, Murray House Dinner Dance, Marilyn (Murray) Keenan and Tom Barrett
The Department for Persons with Disabilities had its beginnings in 1965 when Father John Wehrlen envisioned a program that would provide church sponsored services to children and adults with disabilities. Through the Diocese of Paterson’s Department of Special Education, (now called the Department for Persons with Disabilities) programs including religious education, family support services, a summer camp for children and adults and pre-school for children with disabilities were implemented. As these pioneer programs progressed, it became evident that there was a need to provide housing for adults with disabilities. The Murray House opened its doors for 10 residents in 1971. It is a model group home and it is the longest existing group home in the State of New Jersey.
Today, 75 individuals are living in our eleven residential programs consisting of nine group homes and two supervised apartment programs. The group homes are comprised of Murray House, Clifton; Alexander House, Columbus House and Finnegan House, Oak Ridge; Calabrese House, Parsippany; Barnet House and Fitzpatrick House, Pompton Lakes; Wallace House, Sparta and Wehrlen House, West Milford. The supervised apartment programs consist of the Basile Apartments in Wayne and the Kelleher Apartments in Butler. Additionally, 50 individuals are given vocational services at the Gruenert Vocational and Employment Center in Lake Hopatcong.
When Father John Wehrlen finally got his home for his special children he knew that the Murray’s son, Jimmie, had recently passed away due to his complications of his developmental disability. Since Jimmie was one of God's Special Children, Father Wehrlen called Jim & Kit Murray and asked them if he could name the home after their son Jimmie. They agreed, and the Murray House became a reality. Jimmie's memory will be lasting forever in the home named after him. Jimmie's name on the Murray House reminds and teaches us what love means and the limits to which love sometimes calls us. It teaches us too that the greatest service we could give to our family here is the gift that made Jimmie's life happy and full - the gift he received from his Mom and Dad - selfless love.
For the past 38 years, the Murray Family, together with the Department for Persons with Disabilities, have been working for the cause of maximizing the quality of life of persons with developmental disabilities so that they can claim the right to live, learn and grow in their community and the mainstream of society. The Murray House Dinner Dance has become the signature event of the DPD that exemplifies its mission and ministry. This year the event will be held on Sunday, February 24th at The Brownstone in Paterson, NJ.
Sadly, we will be missing one of the staunchest supporters of this event; Marilyn (Murray) Keenan who passed away in April. There will be a special program remembering Marilyn for her contributions and dedication to the Murray House and the Department for Persons with Disabilities.
Marilyn Ann (Murray) Keenan was a volunteer at the Department of Persons with Disabilities for over 30 years. She really had a special love for persons with disabilities especially the residents at the Murray House.
Marilyn’s enthusiasm for the Annual Murray House Dinner Dance was evidenced by her special touch that made the event unique. Marilyn truly looked forward to the dinner dance each year and worked very hard to make it a success. She worked side by side with her husband Al, her daughters Katherine and Elizabeth, her parents James and Kit and her brothers Dennis, Joseph and Patrick and their families to make this occasion a memorable one for everybody in attendance. The entire Murray Family takes pride in the Murray House Dinner Dance, but Marilyn was the driving force for keeping everyone on track with all of the necessary details.
We will also be honoring Tom Barrett, the former Executive Director of the Department for Persons with Disabilities, with the DPD’s “Person of the Year” award for his 35 years of dedication, leadership and vision that has brought the DPD to a new level of excellence. The DPD is recognized throughout the state of New Jersey, as well as nationally as a stellar agency in the field of disabilities.