Hugh F. Murray, Jr. age 82, of Winchester, formerly of Arlington, passed away on July 12, 2020. He was the beloved husband of Patricia M. (Kiley) Murray.
Hugh was born in and spent his early life in Charlestown, MA with his Irish immigrant parents, Hugh and Alice, his older sister Betty, and his younger brothers Kevin and Larry. The family moved to Arlington when Hugh was seven years old. He met Patricia Kiley in their Fourth Grade class at Saint Agnes School. Sixteen years later, in 1964, they married.
Hugh and Pat lived in Arlington for ten years, where their three sons, Hugh III, Steven, and John were born. In 1974, the family moved to Winchester, and Hugh lived in that house until his death. Hugh was devoted to his children and grandchildren. He knew nothing of soccer and coached his sons. He knew something about basketball and so helped found the Winchester Youth Basketball Association. He joyfully went to swim meets and tennis matches, plays and cross country meets, baseball, hockey, soccer - whatever his kids, grandkids, and other relatives were doing, he was there. He was as quick with genuine admiration as he was with the occasional critique.
In his early adult life, Hugh helped run the religious education program at Saint Camillus parish in Arlington, and he was a devoted communicant at Saint Mary’s Parish in Winchester and Saint Agnes Parish in Arlington for his entire life.
A graduate of Matignon High School (1956), Boston College (BS 1960) and Babson University (MBA 1971),
Hugh was a Certified Public Accountant who worked at Ernst & Ernst for several years before joining W.E. Andrews Co., Inc., a printing company in Bedford, MA, where he spent most of his career as the Treasurer. He relished early part of his career with W.E. Andrews as an exciting time working with a great mentor /boss and wonderful co-workers. He worked very hard to make the Company successful, and his roles changed as the Company grew and was sold, and sold again. He ultimately retired around age 60.
Hugh enjoyed playing golf, and for many years was a member at Meadowbrook Country Club in Reading, where he had a number of regular golfing companions from whom he claimed to regularly win $1, which he was then obliged to spend at the clubhouse.
In his later years he took on the new challenge of being a caregiver as Patricia declined due to dementia; that work required courage and devotion, and he rose to the challenge admirably. When Patricia moved to the memory care unit at WellSpring Village, Hugh became a daily fixture, helping Patricia, the other residents, and the staff. He knew everyone there and they all knew him. With the COVID-19 restrictions, he could no longer visit, but he was in regular touch with the staff and visited when it became possible.
He walked throughout Winchester, sometimes up to 12 miles each day. He enjoyed many long and thoughtful discussions with his brother Larry.
He met his cancer diagnosis and the ultimate determination that there was nothing more that treatment could do for him the same way that he met the other challenges in his life: analytically, responsibly, uncomfortable with ambiguity, and with a strong sense of what was best for his family and of what the “right thing” to do was.
It was a life well lived, and he will be missed. In addition to his wife, Pat, Mr. Murray is survived by his children and their spouses: Hugh F. Murray III and wife Nancy of West Hartford, CT, Steven Murray and wife Gina of Andover, MA and John Murray and wife Stephanie of Winchester. He was the devoted grandfather of Helena, George, Jack, Sam, Max, Amelia, and Quinn; the dear brother of Lawrence M. Murray and his wife Anne of Winchester, the late Betty Murray and the late Kevin Murray and his surviving wife Rosemarie Murray. Hugh is also survived by his sister-in-law Dorothy Kiley Coffey of Stamford, CT, his brothers-in-law Jack Kiley and wife Marilyn of Belmont, MA, Gerry O’Neil of Winchester, MA and several nieces and nephews.
Due to the precautions of the Covid-19 pandemic, funeral services are private. In lieu of flowers, and as a steadfast caregiver to his wife’s challenges with dementia, Hugh has requested that donations in his memory be made to the Alzheimer’s Association and mailed to the National Processing Center, P.O. Box 96011, Washington, D.C. 20090-6011 or visit www.alz.org.
Zoom Link for Private Graveside Service: Thursday, July 16 at 10AM:
Zoom Service