Suellen Janet Murray

The family of Suellen Janet Murray are saddened to announce her passing at her home in Halifax on Friday, February 7, 2014 following a three year battle with cancer. Suellen age 49 was born in Fredericton, the daughter of Dr. Jock and Janet (Pottie) Murray. She grew up in the Rockingham area of Halifax and attended Rockingham School and Halifax West High School. She received the degree of Bachelor of Public Relations from Mount Saint Vincent University, where she was co-editor of “The Picaro”. During her years at the Mount, she was an early participant in the Co-Op program which gave her the opportunity for work terms at Spar Aerospace and Burson Marsteller in Toronto. She worked in Public Relations at Neptune Theatre before entering Dalhousie Law School.

As a student at Dalhousie Law School, Suellen was one of two Moor Court debaters in her year to be named to Dalhousie’s Smith Shield, and she captained the Dalhousie Moot Court team which won the Gale Cup, a national Moot Court competition involving Law Schools from across Canada, the first time the cup had been won by a team from Dalhousie. She also worked as principal researcher on the second edition of Professor John Yogis’ Canadian Law Dictionary.

During her High School summers, Suellen worked with her father at the Dalhousie Multiple Sclerosis Research Clinic, where she set up the Clinic’s computerized patient data base. The data base continues to this day, and is still being used in MS Research. She also worked on the original data base for ALS in Nova Scotia, and was a researcher and co-author, with her father, on a series of articles on the history of Dalhousie Medical School.

On her graduation from Dalhousie, Suellen articled in Toronto with Gowling, Strathy, Henderson and was admitted to the Ontario Bar. She was more interested in public policy than in the practise of law, and she worked in policy with the Ontario government before returning to Halifax. She worked first with the Workers Compensation Board, and then with the Nova Scotia Department of Health, where she was project manager, Health Information Legislation. She was proud of her work as a public servant in Nova Scotia, and particularly her work on the Personal Health Information Act, which she drafted.

In 2001, Suellen married her great love, Byron Rafuse, and they adopted their precious daughter, Lucy Xue Murray-Rafuse in 2004. A new and wonderful part of her life began and she embraced the roles of wife and mother, and family photographer, scrapbooker and hostess, with delight.

Suellen was a logical thinker, with a quick and sharp mind, and a quick wit. She was an outstanding writer and communicator, a persuasive and articulate public speaker, planner and organizer. But at the same time, she was a deeply caring, loving and thoughtful person, a delight to be with, devoted to family and friends, empathetic and generous, a woman of great courage and integrity.

Beside her parents, husband and daughter, Suellen is survived by her sister, Dr. Shannon Murray (Dr. Gerald Wandio) North Wiltshire, PEI; and two brothers, Bruce Murray (Christina) of Pictou, and Brian Murray (Patricia Monaghan) of Halifax; four nieces, Celia Wandio, Madison Murray, Molly Murray and Katie Murray, and two nephews, Samuel Wandio and Carson Murray. She is also survived by five uncles: Frank Pottie (Rita) of Dartmouth, Wallace Murray (Marie) of Vancouver, Ross Murray (Patricia Ryan, deceased) of Halifax, Ian Murray of Toronto, and Dr Scott Murray (Patricia) of Halifax, and five aunts, Margot Walberg (Ronald) of Thunder Bay), Janet Henley (John, deceased) of Toronto, Maida Murray (Dr. Sandy Murray, deceased) of Halifax, Wendy Murray of Halifax and Shirley MacKay Murray of Pictou; twenty-four cousins, and her parents-in-law, Sheldon and Joyce Rafuse of New Ross. She was predeceased by her grandparents, Frank and Kathleen (Hyland) Pottie of Halifax, and George and Nonie (Wallace) Murray of Pictou, and her uncle, Bruce Murray, of Pictou.

Suellen understood the value of friendship, and she leaves many friends in Halifax and across the country, especially her cousins Wendy Walberg of Toronto and Leslie Walberg Hegan of Orono, ON, her close friends since their childhood summers in Pictou.

When she was diagnosed with a glioblastoma in December 2010, Suellen determined to live life to the fullest for as long as possible. That included travel with her family, camping at Keji, and taking part, with Byron, in the 5 k walk on Bluenose weekends. It also included taking part in the annual “Spring Sprint”, a fundraising event for the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada, for the past three years. Suellen’s team “Brain Wave” raised over fifteen thousand dollars for brain tumour research.

Suellen and Byron and their family and friends were blessed with three wonderful years together before the tumour recurred, and they followed her lead and made every day count. The family appreciates the support and kindness of family and friends who were with them for every step of the journey. Special thanks to Dr. David Clark, Dr Mary MacNeil and nurse Terry Murray of the Cancer Clinic, Dr Lianne Yashida, Dr. Rob Horton and Susan Perrott of the Palliative Care Unit, and the nurses of the VON who attended her in her last weeks at home.

Visitation for Suellen will be held at J.A. Snow Funeral Home, 339 Lacewood Drive, Halifax (455-0531) on Wednesday, February 12, 2014 from 2-4 and 6-8 pm with a service of celebration on Thursday, February 13, 2014 at 2:00 pm followed by a reception.

Gifts in memory may be directed to the “Suellen Murray Bursary in Science Communication” at Mount Saint Vincent University, c/o University Advancement, Halifax NS, B3M 2J6; 902-457-6470;

www.forms.msvu.ca/donate/default.aspx

or The Friends of the Public Gardens:

halifaxpublicgardens.ca/