Walter Murray

It is with sadness that we bring the news that one of Palm Beach County’s most respected teachers and school principals has passed away.

Walter M. Murray was born December 5, 1922 in Pageton, West Virginia. He passed away at the age of Ninety-one (91) on Sunday, February 2, 2014 with his loving wife of nearly twenty four (24) years, Christina, by his side.

Walter grew up in Logan County, West Virginia and graduated from Logan High School. He joined the US Army in 1943 and served in Europe in WWII with the 13th Airborne Division as a medic and a paratrooper.

After the war, he married Frances J. Felty of Logan, West Virginia. Frances passed away in 1987 after forty-one (41) years of marriage to Walter.

Mr. Murray graduated from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia with a B.A. degree in History and a M.A. degree in School Administration. He worked as a teacher and school principal opening the new Man High School in 1957. He moved to Florida in 1963 and served the children and their parents in the Palm Beach County School Districts as principal, opening four (4) new schools for over twenty-six (26) years. Walter met and married Christina M. Adkins, originally from Huntington, West Virginia, in 1990. When the Murrays retired from the Palm Beach County Schools, they moved to

Plantation Bay in Ormond Beach, Florida. Walter and Christina have lived in Plantation Bay since 1994, where they enjoyed reading, playing golf, and bridge at the Plantation Bay Country Club. He was an active member of the Daytona Metropolitan Bridge Club and the St. Augustine Duplicate Bridge Club. He was a proud Democrat who believed in the true goodness of our citizenry and the importance of protecting our democracy.

In addition to his wife, Christina, he is survived by many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, James Monroe Murray and Sarah Elizabeth Murray Clark and his ten (10) siblings. Along with Christina – he is survived by her siblings and their spouses: Pamela K. (Richard) McCoy, Huntington West Virginia; Charles A. (Alethea) Adkins, Jr., Hardy, Virginia; Melissa J. Young, Wilmington, Delaware, and many nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews.

He cherished his friendship with Larry (Esther) Bulger and their daughter, Jamie, in The Villages, Florida and with George M. (Susu) Manderbach, Wyomissing, Pennsylvania.

Arrangements are being carefully planned by Volusia Memorial Funeral Home, 548 North Nova Road, Ormond Beach, Florida 32174. The funeral will take place on Saturday, February 8 at 9:00 A.M. at the funeral home with visitation to follow. Burial will follow the visitation at 11:00 AM at Volusia Memorial Park.

The family is requesting that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made in Walter M. Murray’s name to the “Marshall University Foundation” in Huntington, West Virginia 25755 and the “Wounded Warriors Project” for our men and women in uniform.