Murray C. Stetson

Murray Clifton Stetson, 78, of Clark, New Jersey, died peacefully on June 2. He was born on September 21, 1931 in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the oldest child of Nancy White (Stetson) Mattern, 97, who lives in Murray's home in Clark, and Harold Clifton Stetson, deceased. Murray also was the adopted son of Oliver Ross Mattern, deceased. At the age of five, Murray lost an eye in an accident and was declared legally blind. He moved to New Jersey with his mother and siblings in 1942. In 1951, he graduated from Thomas A. Edison High School in Elizabeth, and later completed courses at the American Institute of Banking and at Rutgers University. Murray was married from 1955 to 1996 to Janet Shea Stetson, deceased. They had five children: Diane Stetson Martoucheski of Garwood, Jeffrey Stetson (and his wife Trish) of Clark, Gary Stetson of Clark, Cathy Stetson Roon of Florida and Scott Stetson (and his wife Ruth) of Woodridge. Despite being legally blind, Murray worked very hard to take care of his family, sometimes working three jobs. Most recently, he owned and operated Dara Nautical Company for 25 years providing hermit crabs, coral, and seashells to gift shops up and down the Atlantic seaboard. Before that, he worked for what is now Wachovia/Wells Fargo Bank (formerly Linden Trust, Union County Trust, etc.) where he began his banking career as a coin room clerk and teller in 1953. He then served as assistant auditor, assistant note teller and note teller at the Wood Avenue office, and assistant manager of the St. George Avenue office. When he was assistant manager of the Cranford office, he opened the branch in Clark and was made manager and then vice president of that office before voluntarily resigning when he thought he could no longer see well enough to perform his responsibilities. Before beginning his banking career, he was employed by Conti Casket Company. He served as president of the Union County Bankers' Bowling League and, in his youth, he enjoyed fishing and teaching his five children how to fish. Murray was devoted to his mother, his five children, and his eight grandchildren: Darlene Texidore Martoucheski of Wisconsin and Christopher Martoucheski of Garwood; Ray Roon, Jr. of Tennessee; Kerri and Taylor King of Florida; and Brandon, Stephanie and Nicole of Linden. Murray had two siblings: Saragay Stetson, deceased, and Nancy Stetson of Rohnert Park, California. When they were very young, he saved both of them from drowning in the ocean at Kitty Hawk. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 12, 2010 at Osceola Presbyterian Church, 1689 Raritan Road, Clark. A reception will follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Murray's memory to the Foudation for the Blind, the American Cancer Society, or Osceola Presbyterian Church.