Charles Richard Murray Sr.

Charles Richard, Captain Dick, Murray Sr. Charles Richard, Captain Dick, Murray Sr., age 96, died on Sunday, November 21, 2010, at Martha Jefferson Hospital of complications from a fall.

Born on May 19, 1914, in the Bronx, New York, to Dr. Charles Basil Murray and Emily McMorrow Murray, Dick was the younger of their two children.

He attended Columbia University before serving in the China-Burma-India theatre during World War II. At the rank of Tech Sergeant, he was a Chaplain's assistant with the United States forces in China. He often flew from Chungking to India over the Himalayas, a dangerous trip, widely known in those days as flying "the Hump."

In 1950, he married Margaret Mary Curly of New York, before relocating to the mid-West, where he sold frozen foods for Birds Eye and the Snow Cropp Corporation; later traveling the same route for Shedd-Brown. He and his burgeoning family lived in Omaha, Nebraska, Des Moines, Iowa, and Kansas City, Kansas before moving to Charlottesville in 1966. Dick and Mary raised six children of their own, in addition to Mary's children from a first marriage, Tony and Sis, whose father, Joe Lane, had been killed in the war in Europe. In Charlottesville, Dick worked for years as the manager of Claire Burke Potpourri, a company started by his sister, the late Claire Burke, and her late husband Frederick H. Burke.

Always musically inclined, he played the clarinet and saxophone as a young man. Throughout his life, he entertained his family, friends and small groups with his piano playing; he also sang with the choir at the Holy Comforter Catholic Church and in a local barbershop quartet. He passed on his love of music to many of his children. "Captain Dick" earned his nickname after purchasing a Ted Williams, Sears JetWind sailboat that he enjoyed, with Queen Mary at his side, at Beaver Dam Reservoir and Nags Head. He will be remembered for his quick humor and sharp political mind.

He is survived by many: his children, Joseph F. "Tony" Lane and his wife, Lynne, of Castle Rock, Colorado, Margaret "Sis" Chestnut and her husband, Larry, of Hiawatha, Kansas, Cathleen Marstellar and her husband, Rick of Lenexa, Kansas, Charles R. Murray Jr. and his wife, Robin, of Arvada, Colorado, C . Mary Deaver and her husband, Edward "Pete, David B. Murray and his wife, Mary, of Charlottesville, and Peter K. Murray and his wife, Denice, of Charlottesville; sixteen grandchildren who live all over the country including Christie Brown Bomberger and her husband, David, Emily Brown Beasley and her husband, Allen, Charlie Murray, Joshua Rogan and his wife, Eliza, and Eric Rogan and Ashley Rennick, all of Charlottesville. In addition, Dick has fourteen great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his nephew, C. Brian Kelly and his wife, Ingrid, of Charlottesville.

Dick was preceded in death by Margaret Mary Murray, his wife of 57 years; a son, Stephen "Dinky" McMorrow Murray; his parents and his sister, Claire Murray Burke.

The family would like to express their gratitude to the staff and residents of Mountainside Living and Crozet Family Medicine-Dick's friends and care givers.

The family will receive friends at Hill and Wood Funeral Home from 4 until 6 p.m. Sunday, November 28, 2010.

A funeral Mass will be held 10 a.m. Monday, November 29, 2010, at Holy Comforter Catholic Church with burial to follow at Monticello Memory Gardens.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be sent to the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA.

Friends may send condolences to the family at www.hillandwood.com.



This obituary was originally published in the Daily Progress.