George Hartnett Murray, Jr.

George H. Murray, Jr. — beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, son, community volunteer and friend — passed away on Jan. 28, 2021 at his home in Edmonds, Wash. after a long struggle with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. He was 85. George was known for his sense of humor, intelligence, compassion and ability to bring deep listening and presence to any conversation. From a chat with a barista to an extended back-and-forth with a friend, George would fully engage with the curiosity and humor that were his trademark. Even when he didn’t agree with you, he considered fully — meaning that he would email you later with more thoughts on the subject. George made the people in his life feel known, supported and loved. Along with his wife Linda, he showed up for everything: his grandsons’ talent shows; his daughters’ marathons and fundraisers and sojourns abroad; and for family gatherings that were a Murray tradition. He was always ready with a story, a joke, a song to play, a book to share, or a mini-lesson on a subject like astronomy or the sounds of nature. George was born on Feb. 7, 1935, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to George Hartnett Murray, Sr. and Maude Saffle Murray. He was the second of five siblings and attended Marquette Catholic School in Tulsa. As a child, he was known for an interest in model airplanes and taking things apart to see how they worked. As a young teen, he mowed the runway and fueled planes at an airfield in Tulsa, where he earned his pilot’s license at age 14. George earned an aeronautical engineering degree from the University of Tulsa in 1956, where he was president of his senior class, before moving to California to work for Lockheed Missile Systems Division. Shortly thereafter, he was drafted into the U.S. Air Force for three years and then enrolled at M.I.T., where he earned his second bachelor’s in aeronautical engineering. He earned an M.B.A from Harvard Business School in 1965, before moving back to Tulsa with his first wife, Anne Hubbard, and daughter Vicki, to take a position with American Airlines and be closer to his parents. They had two more daughters in Tulsa -- Elisa and Sonja. In the early 1970s, George accepted a position with an exciting start-up in New Jersey named VYDEC, which was beginning to market a new type of word processor to revolutionize the office. In 1980, he met and married Linda Ward O’Reilly, and in 1981, the couple moved to Geneva, Switzerland, where George oversaw development of markets outside Europe and the USA for Exxon Office Systems. In 1986, NCR recruited George to do the same type of activity for them in Europe. The couple eventually moved to London and then Dayton, Ohio. When George retired from NCR in 1993, he and Linda trekked west to relocate to Edmonds, Wash., in the beautiful Puget Sound region, settling near their daughters Elisa and Sonja. Many adventures ensued. The couple explored Puget Sound by boat; and George explored it by plane with the Civil Air Patrol. They frequently traveled to see family and friends, from La Jolla and Colorado to Ecuador and Oaxaca, Mexico. They hosted many visitors in their lovely Sound-side home, including their two oldest Coloradan grandsons for a week every summer. George played tennis with Linda, took up running and ran his first half-marathon with two of his daughters at age 69. He and Linda took classes at the Edmonds Community College’s Creative Retirement Institute, and George was an avid reader of history and politics. In 2000, he and Linda put on their wedding clothes and renewed their marital vows for their 20th anniversary in a ceremony in their lovely garden. Music was a constant theme. George retaught himself piano, continued guitar and learned banjo and harmonica. And in George-like fashion, he swept others up in his enthusiasm: If you didn’t play an instrument when you came by for a visit, you might by the time you left. Family jam sessions were a favorite activity. His daughter knighted him the King of Music, and asked him to help cultivate a love of music in his grandchildren, which he accepted with gusto. Another theme was community involvement. In his last decade, George became an active member of the Kiwanis Club of Edmonds and a champion of the Scriber Lake High School writing program led by Scriber Lake teacher Marjie Bowker, who coached teens in writing, presenting, and publishing their life stories. George also started a chess club for students at Scriber Lake. In the last years of his life, despite growing health challenges, George continued to show up: at his grandsons’ baseball games and talent shows, at Kiwanis meetings, and for his daily walk at the wetlands near the Edmonds shore. Family was at the core of his connections. He credited a family reunion four years ago with rejuvenating his health. Until his last days, he spoke with his siblings twice a week. He loved spending time with his daughters, sons-in-law and grandsons and corresponding with longtime friends. Above all, he cherished the day-to-day companionship of his partnership with his wife of 40 years, Linda. They were best friends. George is survived by his wife Linda; his daughters Vicki Murray Kurzban, Elisa Saffle Murray and Sonja Nash Murray; his sister Ruth Anne Murray and brothers Greg Saffle Murray and Paul Fletcher Murray; his four grandsons Simon Kurzban, Ezra Kurzban, Elliott Avinger and Isaac Butterfield; and many other family members including sisters-in-law; nieces and nephews and their spouses and children. He also had a brother, Dr. James Murray, who predeceased him. To his loved ones, he represented families, happiness, love, respect and caring, among many other things. He will be missed beyond measure. A memorial service has not yet been scheduled for George; please check back. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation one of several causes that were important to George: 1. The Kiwanis Club of Edmonds Charitable Foundation: Send a check to P.O. Box 221, Edmonds, WA 98020 2. The Scriber Lake writing program: Make out checks to "Edmonds School District" with "Scriber Writing Program" in the "to" line. Address to the attention of Marjie Bowker c/o Scriber Lake High School, 23200 100th Ave W., Edmonds, WA 98020 3. The Edmonds Food Bank, 820 Caspers St., L100, Edmonds.