Dr. Meredith “Bud” Murray Jr., 88, died peacefully on Oct. 12, 2018 at his River Forest home with his family at his side. Born on Oct. 5, 1930 to Dr. Meredith and Marie Murray (née Ryan), he grew-up in River Forest. He graduated from St. Luke Grade School, Fenwick High School, the College of the Holy Cross, and Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine. He married Janine Morency, the younger sister of his closest childhood friend. The couple lived in River Forest and raised their children. Following medical school, he served as a lieutenant commander in the Medical Corps on a Navy destroyer following the Korean War, living for a short time in California with his young family. He returned to River Forest and established a successful medical practice in Oak Park and spent more than 40 years delivering thousands of babies, in what he called the happiest area of medicine, and was on the staff of West Suburban and Loyola hospitals.
After his first wife’s death, he married Sheila Clements with whom he lived out his retirement by traveling, playing golf, and enjoying time with their many grandchildren and friends.
Bud Murray was always close to and is survived by his “big sister” and only sibling, Sr. Jean Murray OP, the former president of Rosary College, now Dominican University. He is also survived by his wife, Sheila Clements Murray; his children, William (Susie Cahill), David (Donika) and Janine Beatty (Steve); his grandchildren, David, Alana, John, Michael (Sharyn), Maria and Katie Murray, Meredith (Jesse) Binkley, Samantha (Austin) Barnes, and Christopher Beatty. He is also survived by Sheila’s children, Julie (Dan) Harper, Katie (Randy) Tuma and Bill (Julie Plaut) and Mike (Ann McIntyre) Clements; and her grandchildren, Nicole, Annie (Matt Slaman), Kelsey, Elise, Ian and Kevin Tuma, Dan, Kathleen and Sarah Harper, and Janie, Nora, Martin and Nieve Clements; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Janine Morency Murray.
Visitation was held at Drechsler, Brown & Williams Funeral Home on Oct. 14, followed by a funeral Mass on Oct. 15 at St. Luke Church, with interment at Queen of Heaven Cemetery.
The family appreciates memorial contributions to Rush University Alzheimer’s Disease Center or to Catholic Charities.
