Gary Lee Murray

1952 - 2015

GARY LEE MURRAY, born July 2, 1952, passed away unexpectedly, November 30, 2015. He was preceded in death by his beloved mother, Bertha Murray. He is survived by his father, William J. Murray; his sister, Vickie Zimmerman; and his brother, William Murray, Jr. Other remaining family members include Evelyn Murray, Charles and Vera Murray, his aunts and uncle. He has numerous nieces and nephews. Gary was brilliant and excelled easily at anything he was interested in. In his youth, he was considered a child prodigy because of his mastery of any and all stringed instruments. For a time, he played his 5-stringed banjo semi-professionally. He was solving algebra problems before he was in kindergarten. His brain was so advanced that as a youth he would sit for a couple of days at a time in a dining room chair just thinking and lose several pounds of weight, much to his mother's dismay. He was so much smarter than everyone else that at age 12, he submitted a personal computer model to the school science fair. He won and even competed with his computer at the state level. His model never worked, but the design was so advanced that the judges declared him the winner for his yet unthought-of concept of a personal computer. He was the mastermind behind numerous practical jokes played on his sister's dates in high school. In his teens, he built his own 10-speed bike out of parts he manufactured himself. His model was so light and durable that he was sought after for building more like it. He loved hitching a ride with his bike up to Lake Arrowhead just so he could ride screaming down the mountain without touching his brakes once. He had great courage. Gary attended UC Riverside and also joined the U.S. Navy. He was a renowned stringed instrument maker and he was sought after by many willing to pay high dollars for his quality instruments. He devoted great energy and time to caring for his beloved dog, Fuhnman. He had a rapier wit that could be misunderstood by those with "normal" IQ's. He was a clever, thoughtful, and understanding man. He was much beloved by his sister, Vickie. He had many great qualities. Gary led a quiet life with a few close friends. He was well liked and will be greatly missed by those who knew him. Services will be held at the Riverside National Cemetery where he will be buried with military honors, at 10:00 a.m. on December 29, 2015. A reception will be held at the family home at 1807 St. Lawrence, Riverside, immediately after the burial. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations could be made to the VFW or The American Cancer Society. Questions can be answered by calling his father at 951-780-7117.