Roger Alan Murray

Roger was born on November 21, 1933 and raised in Hagerstown, a small town in east-central Indiana. An accomplished student, Roger graduated at the top of his class and as an avid golfer, captained his school golf team. Following high school graduation, he attended Purdue University, graduating again at the top of his class in 1955 with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. He was a member of Triangle Social Fraternity and became a member of several Honorary Societies, including Tau Beta Pi, the engineering equivalent of Phi Beta Kappa.

Following graduation in 1955, with his wife, Sheila, Roger joined the Plastics Division of Monsanto. He held several positions as a process engineer and among his many achievements was perfecting the production of the plastic inter-layer for automotive safety glass. He joined Fluor Corporation in 1966 in Los Angeles. Once near water, he found his true passion for clear water sailing and soon acquired his first boat, a 29-foot wooden sloop. He became a life-long member of the Blue Water Cruising Club. He always spoke about his many weekends on Catalina Island with his cruising friends and family.

He became a Master Mason, and several years later he became a 32nd Degree Scottish Rite member and also joined the El Bekal Shrine.

At Fluor, Roger advanced through the ranks becoming Principal Process Engineer overseeing the design of several chemical and petrochemical plants. In 1973, he was appointed Process Manager for three large oil and gas processing facilities for Aramco in Saudi Arabia and relocated to Haarlem, Holland. During his five years working with Aramco, he played a major role in the development of Saudi Arabia’s oil and gas industry.

When Roger returned to the United States in 1978 he resumed his love of sailing with the Blue Water Cruising Club enjoying weekends on his 35-foot sailing sloop and with his friends on Catalina Island. He was elected Commodore in 1986.

Having parted from his first wife some years earlier, Roger met Carol Carey in November 1979 through mutual friends, and it was a classic love at first sight. After a whirlwind romance, Roger and Carol were married four months later in March 1980.

Soon after retiring from Fluor in 1988 he discovered retired life was not to his liking. While working and living in Holland, he discovered firsthand the complex income tax system that applied to Americans who lived and worked overseas, so he opened the Murray Tax Service in 1990. He specialized in complex tax cases and became an Enrolled Agent in 1993, licensed by the IRS.

Roger and Carol spent the last years of their lives travelling the world. Starting in 1992, they became addicted to cruising on larger ships all over the world and between 1992 and 2013 took 21 cruises.

Roger had a fruitful and fulfilling life having worked and lived throughout the U.S and overseas. His pride and joys were his daughter Sara Gainey, Sara’s children Christopher, Mary, Michael, and Gregory, son John Brooks Murray, stepdaughter Kimberly Sams, and Kimberly’s son Alexander.

Roger will be buried in Hagerstown, Indiana beside his adored wife, Carol. His devotion to family, friends, and community will be cherished by all whose lives he touched.