Norma E. Murray

Norma Esther Murray, age 104 1/2, passed away on July 18, 2025, at Wiley Mission Retirement Community in Marlton, New Jersey. Norma was born on January 20,1921, in Philadelphia to parents, Michael Reinl and Ella Ray Hoopes. Norma was the youngest of seven children and the last remaining. Norma married Frank Murray on February 19, 1944, who passed away on December 7, 1998.

She is survived by her two sons, Gordon Grant Murray (Ann) and Wayne Francis Murray (Anna), her eight grandchildren: Donna Knorr (David), Christine Krimmel (Michael), Trisha Murray Brown (Randy), Maureen Vogel (Doug), Lisa Furukawa (Jonathan), Fay Utsick (Justin), Joshua Johnson (Jennifer), and Gordon Murray II (Valerie), her 17 great grandchildren: Katelynd Knorr, Jessica Yingst (AJ), Michael (Bud) Krimmel, Dylan Knorr, Ryan, Mackenzie and Tyler Brown, Aaron Vogel, Ryan and Shay Furukawa, Jimmy, Mia and Jack Johnson, Nikolai and Viktor Utsick, and Ashley and Amanda Murray. She is also survived by three great-great grandchildren: Cooper and Ella Yingst and Mackenzie Fritchman.

Norma belonged to Trinity Church Oxford in Northeast Philly until they moved to Honeybrook, PA, where they attended St. Mark’s Episcopal Church for many years. While living in Honeybrook, Norma had the opportunity to babysit and spend time with her granddaughters, Maureen and Lisa. Together, she and Frank loved their family and loved traveling in the states. They spent some of their retirement riding steam trains and met many people along the way. They were also active in the American Legion where Norma was known for selling poppies on Veterans Day and was the historian there for several years. Norma loved to dance, sew, do arts and crafts, and most of all, she loved her family.

In 2011, her granddaughter Trisha and her husband Randy were instrumental in moving her to Marlton, NJ, where she was close by. Her great grandchildren, Ryan and Kenzie were also able to get to know her and appreciate a great lady who taught all of her family kindness, patience and resilience. In 2013, she moved to The Wiley Mission Christian Retirement Community, which was her home until she passed. She enjoyed her years there as well as the staff who took good care of her and loved her. Her grandchildren, Trisha, Chris and Donna were dedicated to Norma which helped contribute to her longevity. Everyone visited as much as possible - she always felt safe and knew she was loved. Before she passed, she was told that her great granddaughter, Jessie gave birth to a daughter whom Jessie named Ella after Norma’s Mom, and Norma was thrilled by this news.

Norma lived a long and wonderful life. She will be missed and cherished always by those whose lives she touched.

Relatives and friends are invited to her memorial graveside on Saturday, August 2, 2025, at 2pm, Forest Hills Cemetery, 25 Byberry Road, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006. Please, enter the cemetery entrance and follow the arrows directly to her graveside. Following the graveside, there will be a celebration of life on the cemetery property at the Lamb Funeral Home Community Room.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Wiley Mission: https://payment.wileymission.org/