Obituary of Wilbur G Murray

Wilbur George Murray of Endicott/Candor America lost a member of the Greatest Generation on Wednesday, January 27, 2021 when, Wilbur (Bill) G. Murray, 99, joined his beloved wife, Charlotte D. Murray, in heaven. He is predeceased by his parents, William and Augusta H. Murray, and his sister Augusta E. Murray. He is survived by his children Charlene (Jeffrey) Smith of Medina, NY, W. Randall (Randy) (Jan) Murray of Candor, NY, and Douglas (Pam) Murray of Canandaiqua, NY. He has 11 grandchildren and 24 great grandchildren. Bill was born in Brooklyn, NY and grew up in Richmond Hill in Queens, NY. He graduated from Richmond Hill High School and attended RPI for two years studying engineering, and like many young men of the time, he volunteered for military service after America was attacked at Pearl Harbor. As part of the 26th Division, US third Army 328th regiment, Bill was part of the second wave at Omaha Beach on D-Day. He served with his comrades through the Battle of the Bulge, when he suffered a disabling injury. Bill was awarded three Bronze Stars during his time of service. Similar to many others of the Greatest Generation, he seldom spoke of his service. At the 50th anniversary of D-Day, he finally started to share some stories with his family. After returning home he completed his engineering degree at RPI. He met Charlotte at a church sponsored social. Bill married Charlotte September 3, 1949 and they celebrated their 71st anniversary last year. They raised their children in Campville, NY, while Bill worked for IBM as an engineer and finally as a project manager. During that time, he worked on the Gemini and Apollo space programs. He was involved with a national think tank that helped develop the ideas for ARPANET, which was a precursor to the modern internet. He helped start the Campville Fire Company, which was originally called the "Cellar Savers". Bill was an active member of the Endicott Lions Club and later the Candor/Spencer Lions Club. Bill and Charlotte moved to Candor, NY, where together they ran Buckridge R.V. Camp for many years. He was a member of St. Mark's Episcopal Church, where he designed an enclosure for the church's bell. He helped organize the "Friends of Candor Free Library", and served several years as an EMT on the Candor Emergency Squad. Bill loved hiking and mountain climbing in the Adirondacks. A memorial service will be held in the future when all his friends and relatives may safely attend. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to St. Andrew's Anglican Church, 400 W. Wendell St, Endicott, NY 13760.