Maureen Murray Stirling

Maureen Murray Stirling, 90, died comfortably and peacefully on Tuesday, July 8, 2025. She leaves her daughter, Aileen Stirling and her husband Gus; daughter, Adrienne Stirling and her husband Jim; son, Graham Stirling and his wife Loretta; and son, Sean Stirling, as well as grandchildren Dylan, Nicholas, Alexandria, Ava, and Ian. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, July 20, 1934, Maureen grew up the youngest of 10 children, six of whom survived to adulthood. During WWII’s Battle of Britain, and Maureen’s first week of kindergarten, she was evacuated by government decree for her safety to escape the German bombings. She went by herself to a small rural village, Killin, Perthshire, where she lived with the McKinnon family for two years. When she returned to her childhood home, 134 Friarscourt, Glasgow, she was very happy to be reunited with her family despite the continuing air raids by the Luftwaffe. On April 5, 1956, Maureen married the love of her life, Alexander Fergus Stirling. They began a journey together that took them to London, England, then Ontario, Canada, where all four children were born, and ultimately to San Diego, California, where she and Fergus have resided since 1968. Over the course of her life, Maureen worked as an executive assistant in many different organizations and industries. For the last 20 years of her professional life, she worked at San Diego’s UC Medical Center. She was the executive assistant to the Chair of Medicine, notably Dr. Helen Ranney, the first woman to chair UCSD’s department of medicine, and later Dr. Stephen Wasserman. Maureen loved sports (especially playing field hockey, tennis, and golf), engaging conversation, music and dancing, crossword puzzles, word-of-the-day, and keeping up with current events. Maureen will be remembered as a very loving mom, nana, and grandma, and for her very adventurous, bold spirit. She was also extremely affectionate, supportive, determined, humorous, and full of life. She will be deeply missed by her family, who will be forever grateful for her deep love, sense of humor, and joie de vivre.