Cliff Jr Murray

Cliff Murray, Jr., age 75 of Grants Pass, died Monday, February 25, 2008 at Three Rivers Community Hospital.

No services will be held. Hull & Hull Funeral Directors are in charge of arrangements.

Any donations in his honor can be made to the Grants Pass Active Club P.O. Box 961, Grants Pass, OR 97528.

Cliff Murray, Jr. was born in Los Angeles, California on April 21, 1932 and graduated from Washington High School in Los Angeles in 1950. After serving in the U.S. Navy, Cliff followed his parents and siblings in relocating to Grants Pass in 1959. Soon after, he began a career as a sportscaster and radio announcer, first at KAGI and then at KAJO. In 1984, he began his next career as Marketing Director for Southern Oregon Federal Credit Union (SOFCU) where he very much enjoyed working until his death.

Though he was an accomplished artist and enjoyed coin collecting and many other activities, his true passion was public service. For over fifty years, he served in leadership positions in a variety of social and political organizations. His initial civic involvement was with the Grants Pass Active Club and the development of the annual Memorial Day Boatnik festivities. Other key contributions include serving on the board of directors of the Grants Pass School Board, Josephine County Library Board, Jaycees, Kiwanis, Josephine County Historical Society, Women’s Crisis Support Team, and the Democratic Central Committee. His impact to the Grants Pass community through all of his many years of volunteer public service was quite significant, but pales in comparison to the impact he had on all who knew him on a personal level. His kindness, sincerity, and genuine desire to be a positive influence in the lives of others were among his strongest virtues.

He is survived by his wife, Patty, their three children (Melanie Leonard of Grants Pass; Michael T. Murray, N.D., of Issaquah, WA; and Dee Dee Reich, of Grants Pass) and seven grandchildren (Missy Leonard, Kaitlyn Lopez, Isabella Lopez, Journey Reich, Lexi Murray, Zachary Murray, and Addison Murray). His parents, Cliff and Thelma, are deceased as is his brother, Chuck. His sister, Joyce Adams, remains a longtime resident of Grants Pass.