FALL RIVER, Mass. — Holy Union Sister Rosemarie Murphy, 80, also known as Sister Joseph Marita, a native of Taunton who taught in elementary schools for more than 40 years, died August 1, 2009 in the Catholic Memorial Home. The daughter of the late Arthur and the late Elizabeth (Fair) Murphy, she entered the Holy Union Sisters in Fall River in 1947 and made her final vows Aug. 22, 1955. She studied at the Sacred Heart School of Education in Fall River, received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Fordham University, and a master’s degree in French from Rivier College in Nashua, N.H. Sister Murphy’s teaching career also included schools in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. Locally, she taught at Holy Union Preparatory School in Tiverton, R.I., the Taunton Catholic Middle School, Sacred Hearts Academy and Bishop Connolly High School in Fall River. She was a member of the first team of personnel directors for the Fall River Province of the Holy Union Sisters, and was administrative assistant to the director of admissions at Weston School of Theology in Cambridge. She later volunteered as an English teacher in the HALT Program for Haitian immigrants in Mattapan, and served in the province finance office in Milton. In 2003, Sister Murphy joined retired Holy Union Sisters at The Landmark in Fall River, and in 2007 became a resident of the Catholic Memorial Home. Besides her Holy Union Sisters, she leaves a sister, Marita Murphy of East Taunton; two brothers, Thomas Murphy of Taunton and Arthur Murphy of East Taunton; and nieces and nephews. She was also the sister of the late Holy Union Sister Mary Elizabeth Murphy. Her Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated August 5 in the Catholic Memorial Home chapel. Burial was in St. Francis Cemetery in Taunton. The Waring-Sullivan Funeral Home of Memorial Tribute in Fall River was in charge of arrangements.