Teresa Woo-Murray

Extraordinary is the one who has both the tenacity and good fortune to achieve that which they most set out to do… Teresa was extraordinary.

A loving and devoted mother, wife, sister, and friend, Teresa Woo-Murray approached all facets of life, with an inextinguishable, irresistible joy.

Born to her parents Benjamin and Esther Woo on June 19th, 1950, Teresa would grow up quickly, acting as a big sister to four younger brothers in the heart of Seattle, Washington. She learned to play the piano at an early age and became an accomplished musician. Both music and art came naturally to her creative spirit, and she studied fine arts at the University of Washington.

Teresa pursued her musical passions by playing keyboard in numerous bands in the 70’s that toured throughout the United States. Eventually, she moved to Los Angeles to be part of the band Between the Two, which was developed by the famous fashion designer, Bill Whitten. It was through the L.A music scene that she met another musician, George Murray, when she joined a “New Wave” band named The Jumpers in 1982. They fell in love and were married in 1984. Their son Marcus Murray was born a few years later in 1989.

Teresa continued her musical endeavors through the years, lending her talent to a wide variety of occasions including performing at the Shrine Auditorium with an all women’s orchestra for a Buddhist Cultural Event, performing with the Pasadena Community College Latin Orchestra, and culminating as co-leader of a local band named Luna Negra.

She loved to dance, music made her move, no matter who was watching she never held back, as with everything she touched. As a musician she never stopped building her skills as she continued to listen, practice, and study music every chance she could. Recently, she had a song published in England that she created with her band Between the Two.

While music was still a central part of Teresa’s life, she took on a new challenge, which was to pursue her visual talents as a graphic designer. She worked at Applause Licensing for several years, rising to become a top designer by creating logos, sales promotions and displays for Disney, Warner Brothers, Sesame Street, and others. So much so, that she was able to start her own business, Woohoo Design Studio in Glendale, CA, with an impressive list of clients and successfully launched her own line of designs for licensing.

Teresa had no shortage of dreams to achieve. She pursued every passion which came her way, including, despite her difficulties with putting words to the page, writing her stories and developed a graphic novel based on her maternal great-great grandfather Chun Ching Hock – an early Seattle pioneer. She tirelessly researched and worked to bring his story to light and worked with Seattle historians and museums to help build his place in Seattle and Asian American History.

She was an amazing foodie and loved to cook and bake. She would bake with fervor for every holiday, every celebration, whenever a new recipe caught her eye, or simply because it was Tuesday. Teresa pursued everything in her life to the fullest extent. Her brightness was never blinding, because one could never look away from how she shined.

Teresa was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in the summer of 2019. She was determined to fight the disease, and took it on just as she approached everything she put her mind to in her life. She fought through every treatment and setback imaginable. And as the challenges grew from difficult to ultimately insurmountable, she chose to smile until she no longer could. She passed away quietly in her home in the presence of her family on the evening of October 12th, 2021.

Teresa is survived by her husband George, her son Marcus, and her cat Koba, along with her siblings: John, Jeffrey, Roger, Philip, and step-sisters Teresa and Janice, as well as her many nieces and nephews.

She was cremated on November 11th, 2021.