Thomas Mullaghy

Thomas Andrew Mullaghy, lovingly known to all as Tom, Dad, Grandpa, Uncle Tom, and to many, The Mayor of Five Corners, passed peacefully at home on July 2, 2025, surrounded by his cherished family.

Born in Claremorris, County Mayo, Ireland, on October 8, 1930, to Owen and Brigid Mullaghy, Tom was one of eleven siblings who grew up in the rolling fields and tight-knit village of Facefield. He attended Facefield National School and graduated from St. Coleman’s College in Claremorris in 1948. From an early age, his sharp mind and competitive spirit were evident — traits he carried with him throughout life.

A proud athlete, Tom played Gaelic football for multiple teams, including Mayo Abbey, Claremorris, and the esteemed Mayo Senior team. In 1948, he moved to Dublin and worked as a bus conductor for the National Railroad Company, but his journey, and destiny, would soon carry him across the Atlantic.

In 1960, Tom emigrated to the United States and made Jersey City, New Jersey, his home. It was here that he met the love of his life, Catherine, and together they built a legacy rooted in hard work, laughter, and unconditional love. He worked for several trucking companies, including Roadway Express and Republic Trucking, and in 1968, he ventured into entrepreneurship. Alongside his father-in-law, Michael Ford, and nephew, James Glynn, Tom co-owned the Old Mill Tavern in Union City, Sam’s Liquors in Bayonne, and the iconic Grapevine Tavern on Newark Avenue, proudly holding Jersey City’s first liquor license post-Prohibition.

For over five decades, Tom stood behind the bar at the Grapevine, welcoming each patron with a warm smile, a hearty laugh, and a story to tell. In 2013, he was honored as Jersey City’s Irishman of the Year, a fitting tribute to a man who made everyone feel like family, because to Tom, they were.

Tom's greatest accomplishment wasn’t found on a football field or behind the bar. It was his family. His beloved wife Catherine; his children Thomas (Barbara), Eileen, and Brian (Gladys); his grandchildren Richard, John, Kevin, Andrew, Sean, Anna, Robert, Rose, Brian, and Julia, each one a reflection of his strength, kindness, wit, and endless devotion. He is predeceased by his beloved daughter, Kathleen Dufresne, whose memory he carried in his heart every day.

Tom is also survived by his sisters-in-law Helen Glynn and Margaret Ford, and countless nieces and nephews who adored their Uncle Tom. He now joins in eternal rest his dear daughter Kathleen, his siblings Margaret, Winnie, Mary, Jane, Delia, Frank, Michael, James, Peter, and Eugene, and sister-in-law Mary Ford.

Tom loved Jeopardy, crossword puzzles, a good book, and every thrilling moment of Gaelic football. But more than that, he loved people. Whether you knew him for five minutes or fifty years, you walked away feeling like you’d known him forever.

He lived with grace, humor, humility, and an unshakable Irish spirit. He was our Grand Marshal of Life, the one who knew when to raise a glass, when to lend a hand, and when to simply sit beside you in silence. His was a life well-lived and well-loved.

Family and friends are invited to honor Tom’s life at Riotto Funeral Home (For GPS, please use our parking lot address: 14 Stagg Street, Jersey City, NJ 07306), on Monday, July 7, 2025, from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Funeral will begin on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, with a visitation from 10:00 AM to 10:30 AM at the funeral home.  A Funeral Mass will follow 11:00 AM at St. Joseph's Church, Jersey City.  Interment will take place at Holy Cross Cemetery, North Arlington.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Tom’s memory to the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey in loving tribute to his daughter, Kathleen Dufresne, at https://cinj.org/giving/ways-give

A legend in life and now at rest, Thomas Andrew Mullaghy will be remembered always for the family he built, the community he united, and the love he gave so freely.