Colleen Therese Murray

Colleen Therese McDonnell Murray, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully on October 19, 2025.

Born on September 16, 1935, at Mercy Hospital (yes, the same hospital as Pope Leo XIV) in Chicago, Colleen was born and raised on 27th and Emerald Street on the south side of the city. A true, proud, strong, and resilient Irish Catholic South Sider, she embodied the spirit and grit of her Chicago roots. Colleen attended Saint Xavier’s Elementary and High School, where she developed a lifelong love of learning and faith. The McDonnell family were active members of All Saints Parish, where community and devotion shaped her early years.

After high school, she moved to Denver, where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Loretto Heights College. It was there that she met and married the love of her life, Paul Vincent Murray, Jr. Together they built a beautiful life founded on faith, family, laughter, and love.

Colleen devoted her life to learning, teaching, and caring for others. As an elementary school teacher at St. Vincent’s Catholic School, she inspired generations of students with patience, warmth, and faith. Her career later included meaningful work at the Jewish Community Center (JCC) and Compleat Gourmet, as well as volunteer service at Christ the King Catholic School. Colleen was also an integral member of St. Thomas More Catholic Church and Gift Store, where she joyfully shared her time, faith, and friendship.

With a heart for service, Colleen Murray was a woman of deep faith, serving as a devoted Eucharistic Minister. She extended compassion to others through her volunteer work with AIDS patients and the burn unit at local hospitals, and by giving countless hours to the Little Sisters of the Poor and the Sisters of Loretto. Her kindness, humility, and generosity touched everyone she met.

Colleen’s life was grounded in love, faith, and family. She took greatest pride in being the mother of eight, grandmother to sixteen, and great-grandmother to four—with one more on the way. Her home was always open and welcoming—filled with good food, lively conversation, laughter, and love. She found joy in cleaning, cooking, reading, sunbathing, art, and painting, and she had a gift for making ordinary moments feel special.

She was preceded in death by her cherished parents, Bea and Babe McDonnell, and her devoted husband, Paul Vincent Murray, Jr.

Colleen is survived by her dear sister, Sharon McDonnell Muscarelle (Joe), and her loving children:

Paul V. Murray III, Katie (Gary) Kleeman, Thomas (Jade) Murray, Megan (Bill) Wright, Colleen (David) King, Annie (Pete) Owen, Elizabeth Murray, and Carrie Murray.

She will be lovingly remembered by her grandchildren:

Gretchen (Chris) James, Aggie McLaughlin, Harry (Leti) Kleeman, Riley (Katherine), Murphy, and baby brother Kleeman; Paul Vincent (Kaitlyn) Kleeman; Charlie (Taylor) and Margaux Kleeman; Joey (Anna) Kleeman; Ginger Wright and Liam Wright; Eliza King and Vincent King; Marti Schmidt and Mac Schmidt; Roxanne Scoggins and Lacey Scoggins; and Lowen Epstein and Rose Epstein.

Colleen’s legacy of faith, compassion, and unconditional love will live on in all whose lives she touched.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Colleen T. Murray Tuition Assistance Student Scholarship Fund, helping provide opportunities for students to attend Christ the King Catholic Grade School, a place that held a special place in Colleen’s heart.

Donations may be made by contacting:

Christ the King Catholic Church

830 Elm Street, Denver, CO 80220

churchoffice@christthekingdenver.org