To those who worship at First Religious Society Unitarian Universalist Church, the Rev. Helen M. Sampson Murgida offered grace and guidance. To city officials, she was a faith leader who was always ready to support the community for its needs.
And so it wasn’t surprising when Murgida agreed to say the opening prayer at Mayor Sean Reardon’s Annual State of the City Address Wednesday, replacing another clergy member who had taken ill.
She never got to deliver the prayer. She was fatally struck by a pickup truck as she headed to City Hall. Her tragic death stunned the community, plunging the small Merrimack Valley city into mourning.
“She didn’t hesitate to step up and jump in, in a moment’s notice, to fill in,” Reardon said in an interview Thursday evening. “That’s just the type of person she was.”
Murgida was struck by a 2016 Ford F-150 around 6:40 p.m. on Green Street across from City Hall, Essex District Attorney Paul F. Tucker’s office said. She was transported to Anna Jaques Hospital in Newburyport, where she was declared dead.
The driver remained on scene. The investigation continues.
An interfaith chaplain, Murgida spent her career working in special education. She will be remembered as a beacon of kindness in the community, Rebecca Bryan, the church’s senior minister.
“She was just one of those people that lights up any space she goes into,” said Bryan. “She dedicated her life to making this place, and the world, a place that respected all people.”
As a devoted advocate for people with special needs, Murgida delivered sermons including “Neurodiversity and Self Compassion” and “Diverse Ability, Ableism, Allyship” that raised awareness for people living with disabilities.
“She preached on these things at least once or twice every single year and worked with members of our own congregation who were facing issues like this,” said Bryan.
Murgida, born and raised in Somerville, founded a program called AIM, which stands for “Accessibility Inclusion Ministry,” to address accessibility issues within the church. Bryan said Murgida, as part of the program, removed pews to make designated space for wheelchairs and managed a Bluetooth sound system that people could link their hearing aids into.
Outside of the church, Murgida dedicated decades to a career working with special needs children. She co-founded the Pentucket Workshop Preschool in Georgetown and taught at the Cotting School in Lexington. Murgida held administrative positions at the Somerville Charter School and Pathways Academy at McLean Hospital, and served as a hospice volunteer.
“She was incredibly involved in the community,” said Reardon. “That theme of community service is what I’ll remember most about her, and I know that spirit will continue in our community.”
A vigil was held in honor of Murgida at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at her church in Newburyport, according to Bryan.
Reardon noted Murgida’s dedication to the city, whether it was celebrating community advancements or easing pain in times of hardship. When Newburyport began celebrating Juneteenth a few years ago, Murgida delivered a sermon that Reardon still thinks about. She organized vigils for war victims after Russia invaded Ukraine, and assisted in the effort to house a family of Afghan refugees in the church’s parish hall in 2022.
“Every time I saw her, it was always a smile and [an] eagerness to get involved with the community,” the mayor said. “She was someone that just was so willing to give.”
Lila Hempel-Edgers can be reached at lila.hempeledgers@globe.com. Follow her on X @hempeledgers and on Instagram @lila_hempel_edgers.