Obituary of Charles Edward Murray

Charles Edward Murray "Chuck" passed away March 29, 2017, at the age of 94 in Tumwater, Washington. He was born in Utica, NY on December 4, 1922 to Theresa (Kompf) Murray and Charles Murray, Sr. He was called Carl by his family and friends while growing up in Syracuse, NY because his German grandfather insisted upon it. He attended St. Patrick's Catholic School from kindergarten through his high school graduation in 1940 and then the NY State Forestry College at Syracuse University until World War II interrupted his studies. Upon enlisting in 1942 he changed his name from Carl back to Charles. As a World War II veteran, he served from 1942 to 1945 in an aviation engineering battalion and built airfields, hospitals, and roads in the South Pacific. Chuck participated in the battles for Guadalcanal, the Philippines and Okinawa. After the war, he re-enrolled at Syracuse University. While at SU he attended mixer dances and met fellow student Veronica Ann Musnicki "Ronnie". After graduating in 1948 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry, Chuck accepted a position with the Rayonier Pulp and Paper Research Laboratory in Shelton, WA. Chuck and Ronnie reconnected through letters and he visited her in Scranton, PA where she was doing a dietetics internship. Ronnie followed with a visit to the Northwest and Chuck proposed to her at Hurricane Ridge; they were married in June 1954. Chuck worked for Rayonier for over 30 years as a wood technologist. He was always trying to find ways to perfect wood chips for paper-making, filling the house with multitudes of paper bags containing these chips. Chuck enjoyed his work and had many friends among his coworkers. He was an avid member of the Shelton Toastmasters Club for decades. Chuck and Ronnie raised four children on Hammersley Inlet, outside Shelton. The biggest enjoyment of his life was watching them grow, often marveling at how different each were. He became just as enthralled with his grandchildren upon their arrival. In his opinion, the best gift was to have his four children and their families together for a visit at the house on the bay. We will miss so many things about our dad and grandfather. He was a prolific reader of all manner of books and imparted this love of reading to all of us. Chuck was a storyteller extraordinaire; he loved to hear a good story as much as tell one. Listening to his stories over the years has given us a tradition of sharing our family lore with each other and our children. In his later years, he was known to always have a book in his hand. He enjoyed the beauty of the area, taking the family to Staircase, Mt. Elinor, and Mt. Rainier or just walking through the woods behind the house. Every summer we enjoyed camping at Kalaloch in the rain. Ronnie passed away suddenly in 1979, breaking Chuck's heart. He remarried in 1988 to Willa Smith; the marriage ended in 1996. Besides Ronnie, Chuck was predeceased by his parents and younger brother James. He is survived by daughter: Teresa A. Murray Hayes (Robert), sons: Philip C. Murray (Michelle), Mel E. Murray (Janette) and Roger W. Murray; grandchildren Veronica, Amelia and Sterling Hayes; Kincaid, Gaelen and Corrine Murray; Eli Murray and Zoe Raphael. We would like to thank Annie Havens, the staff at Alpine Way and The Hampton for the kind and considerate care that they provided to Chuck in his final years. There will be a Celebration of Life for Chuck on Thursday, July 13, 2017, 11 AM at St. Edwards Catholic Church in Shelton, WA.