"For I must be traveling on, now, 'Cause there's too many places I've got to see" and "Cause I'm as free as a bird now / And this bird you cannot change"
-
"Come a little bit closer
Hear what I have to say..
Because I still .. love .. you
I wanna see you dance again
Because I' still .. love .. you
On this harvest moon"
Dylan passed on a Harvest Moon. See the significance below He loves everyone and wants everyone dancing again as he is now as free a bird. <3
Obituary
Dylan Murphy was a light in every life he touched — a true force of joy, laughter, and love. With a heart of gold, he had a way of making everyone feel special and seen. Known for his kindness, humour, and protective spirit, Dylan was the friend you could always count on — the one who showed up with a helping hand, a hug, or a perfectly timed joke. A giant teddy bear with an even bigger heart, he brought comfort, and laughter wherever he went. Whether lighting up a room as the life of the party or supporting someone in need, Dylan embodied generosity, loyalty, and compassion.
Dylan loved all animals — especially his beloved cat, Reptar, and the two fluffy corgis that lit up his life, his ”fur sister”, Pippa and “fur niece” Kiki . He was an avid sports fan who cherished watching games with his father, his greatest role model and best bud. Dylan knew no one else could ground him like his father did. A lifelong Mets fan just like his dad, Dylan took great pride in supporting the team (even if it drove his twin sister, Carly, crazy who was a loyal Yankees fan, inspired by their late grandfather. He was also a devoted Buffalo Bills fan and loved traveling to see them play — including a memorable trip to Buffalo last year with his girlfriend, Thanh, where he got to meet up with his godmother and new uncle.
Music was one of his greatest joys — something he and his mother bonded over deeply. The two shared countless late-night conversations, laughter, and stories, reflecting the special bond between a mother and son who truly understood and cherished one another. They had a rare tight knit mother-son relationship that never faltered even into his adulthood. Dylan cherished the moments where his mom would quiz him on whatever artist, song, and year the album was from.
As twins, Dylan and Carly might have been day and night, but their love and loyalty to each other was unwavering. The unperishable duty to always be each others biggest protectors came with the twin territory— and for Carly that will never end even after Dylan’s passing.
Carly and Dylan had their differences but those differences inspired one another in ways that never needed needed physical words to be spoken. They recognized that they were constantly supporting each other because, on a soul-deep and intuitive level, they both inherently knew what their twin counterpart needed to hear, understand, or be reminded of at any given moment. Support was always present—sometimes offered unintentionally by one and only realized later by the other. This deep connection often led each of them to unknowingly take specific actions or use particular words at just the right moments, providing the other with the guidance, reassurance, and lessons they needed at that time.
Dylan reminded Carly to slow down, take care of herself, and never let anyone or anything dull her light. He believed the world needed her shine and that no job or situation that dimmed it was worth staying in. And Carly, in turn, reminded Dylan of his strength, brilliance, loving nature, and potential — even when he doubted himself. Although Carly was never capable of doubting him.
Dylan and Carly were blessed to come from huge families with so many cousins and amazing Aunts and Uncles that also shaped their childhood. Our families and childhood experiences helped shape Dylan into the honorable man he became--one who loved and cared deeply and lived life through the lense of laughter and fun. Dylan is very much right next to Grandma, Grandpa, Nan, and other loved ones he considered family that passed because even though Carly knew they'd be there to welcome him immediately when he passed but she she got it confirmed and received so many personal things only they would know <3
His fondest childhood memories included spending time with all his cousins on both the Murphy and Thompson side, the Kelliher family, and the Lazicky's. His parents and sister hope to reunite with him when the time comes to finding him hiding among the bears at the Hugging Bear Inn waiting for his family to play late night hide and seek well after the store hours closed had an in (no pun intended) with the owner because she loved nothing more than witnessing the joy is brought Dylan and family every year. Or playing monster jail ball with the Lazicky family with his Uncle Tom taunting the kiddos just to bring out the most laughter you could possibly hear from a group of kids who might not have been family by blood but were bonded by a love that was stronger than blood. Or running around the dodgeball field at strawberry park where Carly's intelligence was evident at a young age (kidding) as learned she would win by hiding behind the boys until the end and put that work in. And making sure Dylan was doing anything to experiment with the fire pit because we all happened to love those campgrounds burnt free--because those memories with other people that turned into family there meant everything to him especially the Kelliher Family. So we pray he's endulging in that he can from above to relive those moments. Unfortunately two key people that were part of those memories, our Uncle Tom and cousin Eamonn Kelliher both also passed too soon--so I find comfort knowing he's with essential people from childhood up there continuing to laugh and have fun with him as fellow Guardian Angels.
Dylan’s talents and heart knew no bounds — from building and improving computers and gaming systems to saving lives when fate placed him at the scene of accidents, pulling strangers to safety without hesitation. Because that’s the type of man Dylan was. He was always eager to help a neighbour out and was a pillar in the Babylon community.
Dylan loved to travel and visited many places such as Dublin, London, California, Colorado, Oxford, Mississippi, Vermont, Charleston, Philadelphia, Buffalo, New Orleans, and many more. Dylan certaintly knew how to really experience a meaningful and memorable life on this earth.
Dylan and Thanh were not only partners but also best friends. They were each other’s confidant, voice of reason, and unwavering source of support. Together, they believed they could face anything life placed before them as long as they had each other. Their relationship was grounded in laughter, adventure, and an appreciation for life’s simple pleasures. Together they enjoyed traveling, discovering new foods and sharing an appreciation for memes, music, history, and corgis. Whether embarking on new adventures, learning from one another or simply relaxing side by side watching TV, they cherished every moment together.
Dylan was blessed with a close, loving family who meant the world to him, and he never failed to tell them how much he loved them. He is survived by his mother, Kim; his father, Christopher; his twin sister, Carly; and his girlfriend, Thanh — along with countless friends, extended family, and loved ones who will forever carry his memory in their hearts.
He lived fully, loved deeply, and gave endlessly — leaving behind a legacy of laughter, warmth, and light that will never fade.
Significance of Harvest Moon in his Passing
TWIN TRIBUTE - About the Significance of Dylan Passing on the night of the Harvest Moon and What it Means for the Twin who Passed and Twin that Survived (see below for another tribute following this)
My twin brother left this world beneath the Harvest Moon — a moon the Irish have always believed marks a crossing between realms, when the veil grows thin and the spirit walks more easily into the arms of the ancestors. Losing him has been the hardest thing I have ever faced. Grief as a twin is different — it is losing someone you love and losing a part of yourself in the same breath. But the night he passed, the Harvest Moon rose so full and bright that it felt like the sky was holding us as everything changed.
On Monday, October 6th, 2025, the Harvest Moon reached its peak at 11:48 p.m. Eastern Time — the exact moment our family returned home from the hospital. We stood outside in silence, staring at that enormous golden moon hanging over us. Even through shock, we couldn’t stop looking up. Its steady glow felt ancient, grounding, almost protective — a light that gave us something to hold onto while everything else fell apart.
The Harvest Moon is a moon of balance — a meeting place between seasons, energies, and worlds. It reflects the eternal dance of yin and yang: life and death, masculine and feminine, the visible and the unseen. And that balance defined us as twins from the beginning.
He lived mostly in the yin — in softness, trust, joy, nurturing, presence. He lived through love, through fun, through connection, through laughter. He flowed with life in a way I envied more than I ever admitted. I lived in the yang — in drive, focus, anxiety, responsibility, logic, control, goals, and action. Together, we were whole. Together, we were harmony without trying. That balance was ours from the beginning.
And then, suddenly, it wasn’t.
When he died under a moon built on the balance of yin and yang, it felt like a cosmic truth I didn’t want but couldn’t ignore. In yin–yang philosophy, when one part of the whole shifts form, the other is transformed in response. When one half of the soul steps into another realm, the other must learn to soften, surrender, and trust.
With his passing, I’m being forced —— into the energy he carried so naturally. I’m being pulled into letting go of control, into trusting the unknown, into the feminine side of our shared soul. Not because his death was meant or destined — but because twin bonds do not break, even when one twin leaves the physical world. His absence is changing me in ways his presence already began. That is something I am grateful for as I need that trust, softness, and surrender more than ever as I wait to feel Dylan's guiding nature and support to get through this.
His passing under a moon built on this balance felt painfully symbolic: one part of our shared soul shifting into another form. Not canceled. Not erased. Shifted.
Irish and Celtic traditions say twins are one soul carried in two bodies, connected long before birth and long after death. And when one twin crosses under a sacred moon, it isn’t a separation — it’s a leading. A guiding. A reassurance that love is not cut in half, only transformed.
I hold onto that belief desperately and honestly.
It is the only thing that makes breathing possible some days.
There is an old teaching in Irish and Northern European folklore:
*“One twin walks ahead to light the path.
The other continues their shared story on Earth.”*
For him to leave on the Harvest Moon — a moon of ancestors, homecoming, and spiritual return — feels aligned with that ancient truth.
He didn’t leave away from me.
He went ahead of me.
Many cultures believe twin souls are psychically linked, spiritually intertwined — that twins cross thresholds more easily because they have a partner soul guiding them. And if the Harvest Moon thins the veil between worlds, then for twins, that veil becomes almost transparent. His crossing feels like a moment softened and supported by the bond we still share.
We already shared that psychically link so I am looking to feel it again. For the surviving twin, spiritual teachings say the connection doesn’t break — it shifts. It becomes quieter, internal, but stronger. A soul contract continues. Signs come. Presence deepens. A new kind of closeness forms — one that exists beyond the physical.
I feel that already.
He is in my heart, holding me. Being patient to come on too strong as I enter the real world again.
This isn’t an ending; it’s a transformation. A rebirth of our relationship in a different realm. I’ve been told he will send reminders, that he’ll guide me now, that he’s closer than ever — just in a new way. That our relationship will be stronger than it was before now. And I believe that because I feel him, unmistakably, in the quiet moments.
Anyone who knew Dylan understands why the Harvest Moon opened itself for him. His spirit was huge: kind, hilarious, loyal, loving, endlessly warm. He had a dry, sharp sense of humor, lit up every room, loved deeply, talked endlessly, connected effortlessly. He took care of our parents when our grandparents couldn’t. He honored our Irish ancestry with sincerity — the unfinished owl tattoo for our Nan, the basement he kept exactly as our grandparents left it, our grandfather’s Babylon volunteer jacket hung like a sacred relic. He lived with one foot in the present and one rooted in the families who came before us.
I know there was a spirit squad welcoming souls and it gives me comfort knowing he walked into a crowd that knew him before he ever arrived in this world–as well as those friends, family and loved ones he knew in this lifetime before they passed.
And for me — for the surviving twin — the meaning of the Harvest Moon is permanently changed.
It represents:
guidance
connection
protection
rebirth
the continuation of our shared destiny
and the unbreakable bond of twin souls
I don’t know how to live in a world where only one of us is breathing.
But I do know this:
We are still two halves of one whole — just no longer in the same place.
He is still with me.
He is in my heart, holding it for me.
He is the yin to my yang, now from a different realm.
He is the light walking ahead.
And the Harvest Moon — the moon we returned home under the night he died — will forever be the bridge between us.
And when that moon rises full again, I will look up and know:
he’s there — guiding, holding, loving, leading —
the light ahead, the softer half of our shared soul,
the part that stepped forward first.
One soul.
Two bodies.
One here.
One just beyond the horizon.
Still twins.
Always twins.
Forever.
I love you Dylan Shane
XOXO Carly
United Tribute-
He left us under the Harvest Moon — a moon the Irish have long believed shines brightest for the souls who walk between this world and the next. It is the moon of gathering and remembering, the moon that lights the way home. We stood outside beneath that enormous golden glow, grief-stricken and speechless, unable to stop staring. Something about its brightness — so full, so steady — felt like a presence wrapping gently around us. In the middle of heartbreak, that moon gave us a place to rest our eyes, a place to breathe, a place to feel him close.
In Irish tradition, the Harvest Moon is believed to thin the veil between the living and the ancestors, a time when those who pass are met with warmth rather than darkness. It is a moon of homecoming, of return, of connection to all who came before. It does not make his loss any less devastating, but it brings a sense of sacredness to the night he left — a reminder that the world itself held space for him, lighting the horizon as he crossed. We csn will think of that moon as a reminder that he is not far; that he has simply stepped into a space made softer, easier, and more welcoming by the ancestors who came before him. He is still with all of us — in the stories we share, the photos we gather, the laughter he sparked, the kindness he gave so freely, and the love he left woven through every part of who we are.
Anyone who knew him would understand why such a moon would open its arms to him. He had a massive spirit — generous, hilarious, fiercely loving, effortlessly kind. He lit up every room without trying, carried the biggest heart, and held a dry sense of humor that could break tension in an instant. He loved people loudly and deeply. He loved talking, connecting, joking, telling stories, making people feel seen. He loved being Irish — not in theory, but in how he lived. He honored our heritage with a sincerity far beyond his years: the unfinished owl tattoo for our Nan, the quiet pride he carried in our family line, and the way he chose to live in the same basement our other grandparents once called home. He kept so many of their things intact — as if he was protecting the pieces of them the world might otherwise forget. Even now, his grandfather’s Babylon volunteer jacket still hangs there, holding both memory and meaning.
He had a loyalty that was rare. He took care of our parents with a devotion that speaks to the core of who he was. They were not just his parents — they were his closest friends, his anchors, his world. Losing him is losing a son, a soulmate of a child, a best friend. But even in this unimaginable grief, there is comfort in knowing that if the Harvest Moon is truly a gathering moon — a moon of reunion — then he did not cross alone. He walked toward a crowd of ancestors who adored him long before he was born. A spirit squad waiting: our Nan, our grandparents, the loved ones who held the doorway open for him. This includes other passed loved ones like Maggie Perkins, Eamonn Kelliher, Tom Lazicky, Nick Vinetti, Cloie (poodle) and all the other cats that have passed. Theres been dozens.
As we move forward, we hold onto the memory of that night — standing under the Harvest Moon at its peak, hearts shattered, yet comforted by its glow. A moon bright enough to guide him. A moon gentle enough to hold us. A moon that now belongs to him, to us, to the story that continues even in this unbearable loss. And in the nights to come, when that moon rises full and round, we will look up and remember him — our son, our brother, my twin — held in the same light that watched over him as he left this world.
Gallery
Videos
Memory wall
Family tree
Favorites
Buffalo Bills (Football)
The NY Knicks (Basketball)
The NY Islanders (Hockey)
He also enjoyed playing and watching golf!
Donate
before anything else, my family and I want to say how deeply grateful we are for the kindness, support, and generosity already shown. So many of you donated to the original fund, shared memories, sent messages, and held us close during the most difficult moment of our lives. Please know: we do not expect anyone to give again. Your support has already meant more than words can express.
I’m sharing this new link only for those who didn’t see the first campaign and asked if there was a way to help. I hesitated to share this at all — I’ve always been very proud and private about money — but the past few weeks have brought challenges I simply wasn’t prepared for.
Losing my twin has been heartbreaking in ways I never imagined, and grief has affected every part of my life. I’ve missed a significant amount of work, and while my job has been incredibly supportive, the missed time has left me struggling to keep up with my regular expenses. I support myself fully, and with the combination of time away, emotional exhaustion, and trying to take care of my health, I’ve found myself falling behind.
This is difficult to admit, but I need a little help just to get through this month. Anything contributed will go directly toward:
covering rent
enrolling in better health insurance
the treatments I need right now for stress-related pain
and if anything remains, it will help my parents with the last of the arrangement costs
Again — please know that there is absolutely no pressure to donate. If you already gave to the original fund, that was more than enough. What has meant just as much to us are the photos, videos, messages, and memories people have shared. Each one helps us remember how deeply loved Dylan was and brings comfort on the hardest days.
If you feel called to contribute or even just share the link, it would mean more than you know. And if not, simply keeping our family in your thoughts is more than enough.
Thank you, truly, from the bottom of my heart,
💙
Link: www.gofundme.com/f/cover-the-cos
(You may need to copy/paste it into your browser.
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