Murray was a great friend, good-hearted and generous to a fault. We became fast friends in Mr. Simpson's biology class and worked on a science project -- operating on a live frog to remove its speeen. The frog survived a few days -- long enough for us to win the science fair in our category as I recall. Not much competition in those days, I guess. After that Murray and I spent a lot of time together, much of it trying to sail his sail boat on the Ohio River. More bailing than sailing as I recall.
In June 1961, Murray introduced me to my future wife, Harriet Thompson (Atherton 62.) How Murray knew Harriet, I don't recall but it was an enormous favor for which I thanked him many times. I stayed close to Murray during my college years -- I practically lived at the Walker house, lounging around the Walker pool in the summer of 1964 after an operation on my right ankle. And I remember many friends being at the Walkers in March 1966, watching Kentucky lose in the NCAA finals to Texas Western.
Murray grew up a lot in those years. Murray was an indifferent student at Waggener but he was very bright and, after a year at Ohio Weslyn, he transferred to UK where he bagan to thrive, gaduating in three years and entering medical school. During that period, Murray persuaded me to wite a letter to our draft board supporting his application for conscious objector status. I duly omitted from my letter the death of the ill-fated fropg from our biology project and somehow Murray got his CO status.
The next I heard Murray was interning in Hawaii and planned to move there permanently. In 1974, Harriet and I visited Murray in Hilo where he had already bought a tropical home on a black sand beach and was practicing as a general practitioner. We visited Murray again in 1982, this time with our two boys, then 12 and 9 years old. My son Zach, nine years old and already an aspiring surfer, had been injured in California just before heading to Hawaii. Murray and a Samonian doctor friend, Dr. Pau-Pau took care of Zach and he was fianlly allowed to surf. Murray's son, Isaiah Moon, was about 13 and already an 8th grade surfing champ in Hawaii so, needless to say, Zach both learned a bit about surfing and wished he could live in Hawaii.
Over the next few years, we kept up with Murray sporatically until one night in 1986 when I got a call from Murray's second wife, Judy, telling me that Murray had died of cardiac arrest. Jan Turner, Murray's great friend, and I flew to Hilo and attended the funeral. Maybe Jan can add some details -- he is terrific at telling funny stories. But let me say that Murray was loved and adored by the Hilo community and his patients. Murray wasn't very good at billing and collecting -- I think he must have treated most anybody and everybody without any regard to whether and how they or their insurance would pay him. As I said at the beginning -- generous to fault -- but lovable and loving to the many in Hawaii and Kentucky who knew him well. I still miss his laugh.
Edward Warren
Murray was a great friend, good-hearted and generous to a fault. We became fast friends in Mr. Simpson's biology class and worked on a science project -- operating on a live frog to remove its speeen. The frog survived a few days -- long enough for us to win the science fair in our category as I recall. Not much competition in those days, I guess. After that Murray and I spent a lot of time together, much of it trying to sail his sail boat on the Ohio River. More bailing than sailing as I recall.
In June 1961, Murray introduced me to my future wife, Harriet Thompson (Atherton 62.) How Murray knew Harriet, I don't recall but it was an enormous favor for which I thanked him many times. I stayed close to Murray during my college years -- I practically lived at the Walker house, lounging around the Walker pool in the summer of 1964 after an operation on my right ankle. And I remember many friends being at the Walkers in March 1966, watching Kentucky lose in the NCAA finals to Texas Western.
Murray grew up a lot in those years. Murray was an indifferent student at Waggener but he was very bright and, after a year at Ohio Weslyn, he transferred to UK where he bagan to thrive, gaduating in three years and entering medical school. During that period, Murray persuaded me to wite a letter to our draft board supporting his application for conscious objector status. I duly omitted from my letter the death of the ill-fated fropg from our biology project and somehow Murray got his CO status.
The next I heard Murray was interning in Hawaii and planned to move there permanently. In 1974, Harriet and I visited Murray in Hilo where he had already bought a tropical home on a black sand beach and was practicing as a general practitioner. We visited Murray again in 1982, this time with our two boys, then 12 and 9 years old. My son Zach, nine years old and already an aspiring surfer, had been injured in California just before heading to Hawaii. Murray and a Samonian doctor friend, Dr. Pau-Pau took care of Zach and he was fianlly allowed to surf. Murray's son, Isaiah Moon, was about 13 and already an 8th grade surfing champ in Hawaii so, needless to say, Zach both learned a bit about surfing and wished he could live in Hawaii.
Over the next few years, we kept up with Murray sporatically until one night in 1986 when I got a call from Murray's second wife, Judy, telling me that Murray had died of cardiac arrest. Jan Turner, Murray's great friend, and I flew to Hilo and attended the funeral. Maybe Jan can add some details -- he is terrific at telling funny stories. But let me say that Murray was loved and adored by the Hilo community and his patients. Murray wasn't very good at billing and collecting -- I think he must have treated most anybody and everybody without any regard to whether and how they or their insurance would pay him. As I said at the beginning -- generous to fault -- but lovable and loving to the many in Hawaii and Kentucky who knew him well. I still miss his laugh.