Evelyn L. Murrin

Evelyn L. Murrin of Pittsburgh, PA passed away at 89 years old on June 18, 2025, surrounded by family in Arlington, VA. While she had dementia, she never forgot her four daughters, and twelve grandchildren, and was blessed to meet her great-grandchild days before her passing.

Born and raised in New Kensington, PA, Eveyln L. Alessio graduated from New Kensington High School and, with encouragement from a favorite teacher, was the first in her family to go to college. Her parents asked that she not go far so that she could come home to help with her three younger brothers. Evelyn attended Seton Hill College her first year and then transferred to Carnegie Tech where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree and made life-long friends.

After graduation, Evelyn interned at the United Nations and then went to Harvard University to earn a master’s in counseling psychology. While there she was set up on a blind date with a law school student from Butler, PA, Regis D. Murrin. Married in 1959, they were best friends and travel companions for 53 years before his passing in 2012. Throughout their lives, they took many trips with their daughters and grandchildren, instilling a life-long interest in history and adventure.

Evelyn was a teacher, at times a full-time mom, and worked at Carnegie Mellon University’s Faculty Senate before earning an M.S., Education in Child Psychology from Duquesne University. She worked as a school counselor at Upper St. Clair School District for nearly two decades. Ted Barnett, a former Principal at Baker Elementary School, said, “Evelyn was so competent and caring; she epitomized the art and science of the job.”

Evelyn lived each day knowing that all people deserve equal rights to education, opportunity, respect, and kindness. She was a passionate advocate and active ally for public education, school integration, women’s rights, public broadcasting, voting, religious freedom, and peace.

She volunteered in the Pittsburgh public schools, was active with the Pittsburgh Council on Public Education, and the League of Women Voters. Alongside her closest friends, Evelyn volunteered as a director of Peace Links, an organization that empowered women to work toward abolishing nuclear weapons, educating children and families in conflict management, and linking women and men worldwide to seek alternatives to war.

Evelyn’s dedication to peace culminated in her playing a key role in establishing a classroom at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C.

Evelyn was preceded in death by her husband, Regis Doubet Murrin, her parents and brothers Ronald Allison and Charles Alessio, and her great-granddaughter, Lilah J. Coniker.

She is survived by four loving daughters, Cathe (George) Hargenrader of Blaine, WA; Mary W. Murrin, of Highland Park; Elizabeth (Jon) Talotta, of Arlington, VA., and Becky Lamanna, of Wexford, PA; 12 grandchildren, Kate and Jenny (Andrew Bringhurst) Hargenrader; George (Rashmi), Jackworth, and Luke (Molly) Smith; Emily, Katy, and Jessica Talotta; and, Sarah (Brendan Coniker), Samantha (Remy Powell), Elizabeth, and James Lamanna; and great-grandson, Carson Powell. She is also survived by brother Robert Alessio of Stow, MA and many beloved nieces and nephews.

A private memorial service will be held at a later date. Evelyn will be buried alongside her husband, Regis in Butler, PA.

Contributions in memory of Eveyln Murrin will be welcome to the United States Institute Of Peace; www.usip.org, (202) 457-1700, 2301 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC 20037-2900.

You may be unable to access the USIP donation website. The family has chosen these two organizations as alternatives.

The Carter Center -- https://www.cartercenter.org/donate/index.html

The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace -- https://donate.carnegieendowment.org/support