William Murphy, 62, jovial longtime tavern owner

THERE WAS a framed photo over the bar of Billy Murphy's Irish Saloon showing a Roman Catholic High football squad of the early '60s - everybody looking fierce and mean.

Everybody, that is, except Billy Murphy.

There was the Irish kid, who, despite his reputation as a star running back and a fierce linebacker, had a big grin on his face.

That photo told all you needed to know about the jovial Irishman who ran the "Saloonery," as it was popularly called, at Indian Queen Lane and Conrad Street in East Falls for 33 years.

"I never saw him without a smile on his face," said one of his sons, Michael Murphy. "They don't make them like that anymore."

William Joseph "Billy" Murphy, whose ebullient personality and wicked sense of fun made his barroom a happy place and an iconic piece of Philadelphia lore, died Dec. 29 of an apparent heart attack. He was 62 and lived in Blue Bell.

In his saloon, Billy would suddenly call out to his customers, "Who's Catholic and who's Protestant?"

The Catholics got a free shot of Jameson Irish Whiskey, distilled in the Irish Republic, and the Protestants got a free drink of Bushmills, made in Northern Ireland.

Or Billy would ask if anyone who was not Catholic would want to become one. He would take volunteers into the kitchen and baptize them with tap water. Then they got a free drink.

With his booming voice, Billy would shout, "Hubba hubba!" for no reason other than to give expression to his sheer enjoyment of life.

Who could help sharing in that joy? There were very few sad faces in Billy Murphy's Irish Saloonery.

"When you walked into the bar, you felt as if he had been waiting just for you," William Murphy said. "He made everybody feel important."

St. Patrick's Day was a blast. Old customers who had moved away came back. People from all over the city, the Irish and the Irish wannabes had to celebrate that day at Billy Murphy's Saloonery.

They would be greeted with stuffed leprechauns, green derbies and tiaras and Irish music, either live or bellowing from the jukebox. Billy's mother, the former Margaret McKenna, would bring in her special green creme-of-asparagas soup.

Billy grew up in an apartment near 27th Street and Allegheny Avenue after his father left the family. He attended school at Corpus Christi Parish, where he served as an altar boy.

At Roman Catholic High, he was so fierce on defense his coach told him, "Murphy, I've seen tough play - You're not just bad, you're stone bad."

He was henceforth known as "Stone Bad Murphy."

He won a football scholarship to Villanova, but dropped out after a career-ending knee injury.

Billy found work he enjoyed: bartending. He worked at bars in Philadelphia and Avalon, N.J. It was in Avalon that he met his future wife, Patricia Crumlish, daughter of the late James C. Crumlish, Philadelphia district attorney and president judge of Commonwealth Court. They married in 1976.

Shortly after their marriage, they sold their car for $2,000 and bought a bar, Greeley's Steak & Stein, in East Falls. They quickly renamed it Billy Murphy's Irish Saloon.

Billy Murphy's Irish Saloon will continue to operate, with his son, Michael, in charge.

"His humor, quick and self-deprecating, easy smile, and bellowing voice, filled the hearts of his family, friends and longtime custoers," Bill Murphy said.

Besides his mother and sons, he is survived by a daughter, Kathleen Gray; a sister, Margaret Schmidt; a brother, Thomas Murphy, and two grandchildren.

Services: Funeral Mass 10 a.m. tomorrow at St. Helena's Church, 1489 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. Friends may call at 5:30 this evening and 8:30 a.m. tomorrow at the church. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Norwood Fontbonne Academy Development Fund, 8891 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia 19118, or East Falls Sports Assocation, 3228 Scotts Lane, Philadelphia, 19129.