Catherine Murray

Murray, Catherine Elaine
November 15,1925 - August 10, 2014
Grand/Mother, News Junkie and Fierce Friend

Catherine Elaine (Costello) Murray died at home in Port Moody at the age of 88 on Sunday August 10th of congestive heart failure. She was predeceased by her husband Lewis Owen Murray in 2001 and in-laws John and Joan Murray. Catherine Elaine is survived by her daughter Catherine Murray (Larry Buchan), son Lewis Jeffrey John Murray (Jennifer Rosebrugh) of Ottawa, beloved grandson Lawrence Buchan and partner Genelle Pietramala of Port Moody, nephews Cameron, Douglas and Malcolm Murray and families from Gabriola, Fort McMurray, Mont Tremblant and Charlottetown.

An Ontario girl for most of her life, Elaine attended Lisgar Collegiate in Ottawa, served as a WREN in the Navy during WWII as a dental nurse at Cornwallis Nova Scotia, and opted for a BA at Western Ontario, where she wowed her husband as President of the Debating Club, and President of the Western Young Liberals Association, pastimes never surrendered. She worked at the National Film Board as a stock shot archivist, became a lifelong avid CBC radio fan after a Bachelor of Journalism from Carleton’s J school, and worked at the local TV station as freelancer. Her family moved to Waterloo, Ontario, where she lived for over 50 years, working as a highschool teacher at Eastwood and at Bluevale Collegiates creating the Waterloo County High School English Newspaper Award. Elaine served on the Board of the Waterloo County Board of Education Credit Union and was one of the founding members of Waterloo’s Women’s Inventor’s Network.

A wonderful mother, raconteur, news junkie, and feisty conversationalist with an insatiable curiosity, Catherine Elaine Murray was undaunted by the onset of Macular Degeneration which left her legally blind. She was a pioneer of early computer technologies for text/voice translation, loyal user of CNIB’s talking book services, and active in the senior’s book club in Port Moody animated by Renelle Acres, librarian. Elaine learned to love the mountains in the west which she first found intimidating after her move, found peace by the ocean, the rose gardens, and especially her beloved Rocky Point and South Pender Island.

Thanks to the Tri City Palliative Care Unit, the staff and doctors of Eagle Ridge Hospital MCU unit, the incredible doctors Dr. Daniel J. Metzak, GP and Dr. Benjamin Leung, Cardiologist and Dr. Isabel Uzaraga of the Palliative Team and Dr. Jonathan Barchuk, dentist with the soft touch. Thanks especially to the resourceful team at Access Health in Coquitlam, who enabled full independence for most of Elaine’s 12 years in Port Moody living with her daughter’s family with the support of Veteran’s Affairs Canada. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to CNIB, the Port Moody and Waterloo public libraries, or the Mennonite Central Committee of Canada .

A Celebration of Catherine’s life will take place on Tuesday, August 19, 2014 at 2:00 pm at the Old Mill Boathouse, 2715 Esplanade, Port Moody, B.C. and in Waterloo, Ontario at a later date.