Shelagh Isabel MURRAY

June 28, 1933 - October 13, 2025

Shelagh Isabel Murray (nee Swaine) passed away peacefully after a long journey with Parkinson's Disease Dementia at Selkirk Place, Victoria, B.C. She is deeply missed by her husband of 66 years, Victor, and children Tammy, Alison and David.

Shelagh was born in Calgary to parents Ron and Lesley Swaine, but grew up in Winnipeg, with her sister Lesley and brother Fred. She was a top student in all her classes, but from an early age, her greatest passion was books, which led her to pursue a Masters degree in Library Science from the University of Toronto, and then develop a lifelong career as a professional librarian at York University's Scott Library. At York, she helped manage the massive shift from manual to computerized cataloguing in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She continued to spread her love of books through volunteering at her children's school library (Humber Valley Village Middle School, Toronto) and through many gifts of books over the years to her beloved grandchildren Trent, Travis, Evan Tye, and Kate. Shelagh and Vic retired in 1995 and moved to Victoria, where they met new friends and participated in a rich social and cultural life.

Shelagh possessed an endless curiosity, with interests ranging from gardening to dogs to travelling with Vic, but perhaps her greatest characteristic was her ability to treat everyone she met with respect, quiet kindness and equanimity. She carefully cultivated and maintained life-long friendships with school-mates, relatives, neighbours and colleagues, and our lives were deeply enriched through time spent with this diverse array of friends.

We miss Shelagh, our mother, wife, colleague and friend, with all our hearts, but we are relieved to see her released from the long-term devastating effects of Parkinson's. We would like to thank Shelagh's caregivers at Douglas House and Selkirk Place, in particular Rosalie Tarlit and Shoney Cabellon who provided Shelagh with so much support and friendship. The memorial service will be arranged at a later date. In memory of Shelagh, donations can be made to The Nature Conservancy (of which she was a long time supporter) or to Parkinson Canada.