October 27, 1930 - August 13, 2012
COOPERSTOWN - Charles William ("Bill") Murray, formerly of Annandale, Virginia and a Cooperstown resident, died Monday morning, August 13, 2012, at Otsego Manor, with his family by his side. He was 81.
Bill was born October 27, 1930 in Amsterdam, a son of Charles William and Anna Sabina (Spahr) Murray, Sr.
Raised in Amsterdam, he graduated from high school there and then attended Oberlin College as a music major. However, he left college to enlist in the United States Navy on August 27, 1951. He was chosen for officers training, entered college again (NROTC) and obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in mathematics from Duke University and a commission as an Ensign.
On August 7, 1954, he married the former Carolyn Ruby at the First Presbyterian Church in East Aurora. He was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia for three years on the USS Vesole DDR-878, a destroyer. He later received his Masters Degree from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.
Following his naval career, the couple made their home in Annandale, VA. He worked for two research and development firms, Melpar Inc. and Aero Geo Astro Corp. In 1966 he was asked to join NASA at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD as an applied mathematician where he worked for 21 years. In his career at NASA/Goddard, he worked on the Apollo project, writing analyses of the Apollo spacecraft's "Go, No-Go" decision for leaving Earth orbit to the Moon, and of the spacecraft's re-entry trajectory into Earth's atmosphere upon returning from the Moon.
He was a dedicated runner and hiker: he ran over 25 marathons, including three Boston Marathons, and backpacked over 1000 miles of the Appalachian Trail.
A member of the First Presbyterian Church of Cooperstown, Bill was avid musician who played both the piano and trombone. He enjoyed playing with various bands including The Northern Virginia Community College Orchestra, The Kings Park Band, The Cooperstown Community Band and The Small Town Big Band. For many years he volunteered at Otsego Manor playing piano and conducting sing-a -longs. He passed on his passion for nature, science, poetry and music to all who were close to him - finding time to camp with his family, build a homemade telescope with his son, run , sing, and teach piano to his grandchildren.
Bill is survived by his wife of 58 years, Carolyn Murray of Cooperstown; one son, Douglas S. Murray and his wife Christine Prosch of Alexandria, Virginia; two daughters, Barbara Sullivan and her husband John of Cooperstown and Anne Woodring and her husband Michael of Annandale, Virginia; six grandchildren, Armaiti Prosch, Caroline Murray, Erin Sullivan, Matthew Sullivan, Joley Sullivan and Rosa Woodring; one great granddaughter, Dagny Prosch-Winberg; and one sister, Barbara Ann Young of Corning.
A memorial service will be offered at 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 8, 2012, at the First Presbyterian Church of Cooperstown with Rev. Elsie Armstrong Rhodes, pastor, officiating.
Immediately following there will be a Service of Committal at the Columbarium in the Presbyterian Churchyard. Military honors will be accorded by the United States Navy Funeral Honor Guard.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations be made to the National Parkinson Foundation, Gift Processing Center, P.O. Box 5018, Hagerstown, MD 21741 (www.parkinson.org), the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, P.O. Box 807, Harpers Ferry, WV, 25425 (www.appalachiantrail.org), or Catskill Area Hospice & Palliative Care, 1 Birchwood Drive, Oneonta, NY 13820 (www.cahpc.org).
Arrangements are under the guidance of the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.
COOPERSTOWN - Charles William ("Bill") Murray, formerly of Annandale, Virginia and a Cooperstown resident, died Monday morning, August 13, 2012, at Otsego Manor, with his family by his side. He was 81.
Bill was born October 27, 1930 in Amsterdam, a son of Charles William and Anna Sabina (Spahr) Murray, Sr.
Raised in Amsterdam, he graduated from high school there and then attended Oberlin College as a music major. However, he left college to enlist in the United States Navy on August 27, 1951. He was chosen for officers training, entered college again (NROTC) and obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in mathematics from Duke University and a commission as an Ensign.
On August 7, 1954, he married the former Carolyn Ruby at the First Presbyterian Church in East Aurora. He was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia for three years on the USS Vesole DDR-878, a destroyer. He later received his Masters Degree from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.
Following his naval career, the couple made their home in Annandale, VA. He worked for two research and development firms, Melpar Inc. and Aero Geo Astro Corp. In 1966 he was asked to join NASA at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD as an applied mathematician where he worked for 21 years. In his career at NASA/Goddard, he worked on the Apollo project, writing analyses of the Apollo spacecraft's "Go, No-Go" decision for leaving Earth orbit to the Moon, and of the spacecraft's re-entry trajectory into Earth's atmosphere upon returning from the Moon.
He was a dedicated runner and hiker: he ran over 25 marathons, including three Boston Marathons, and backpacked over 1000 miles of the Appalachian Trail.
A member of the First Presbyterian Church of Cooperstown, Bill was avid musician who played both the piano and trombone. He enjoyed playing with various bands including The Northern Virginia Community College Orchestra, The Kings Park Band, The Cooperstown Community Band and The Small Town Big Band. For many years he volunteered at Otsego Manor playing piano and conducting sing-a -longs. He passed on his passion for nature, science, poetry and music to all who were close to him - finding time to camp with his family, build a homemade telescope with his son, run , sing, and teach piano to his grandchildren.
Bill is survived by his wife of 58 years, Carolyn Murray of Cooperstown; one son, Douglas S. Murray and his wife Christine Prosch of Alexandria, Virginia; two daughters, Barbara Sullivan and her husband John of Cooperstown and Anne Woodring and her husband Michael of Annandale, Virginia; six grandchildren, Armaiti Prosch, Caroline Murray, Erin Sullivan, Matthew Sullivan, Joley Sullivan and Rosa Woodring; one great granddaughter, Dagny Prosch-Winberg; and one sister, Barbara Ann Young of Corning.
A memorial service will be offered at 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 8, 2012, at the First Presbyterian Church of Cooperstown with Rev. Elsie Armstrong Rhodes, pastor, officiating.
Immediately following there will be a Service of Committal at the Columbarium in the Presbyterian Churchyard. Military honors will be accorded by the United States Navy Funeral Honor Guard.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations be made to the National Parkinson Foundation, Gift Processing Center, P.O. Box 5018, Hagerstown, MD 21741 (www.parkinson.org), the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, P.O. Box 807, Harpers Ferry, WV, 25425 (www.appalachiantrail.org), or Catskill Area Hospice & Palliative Care, 1 Birchwood Drive, Oneonta, NY 13820 (www.cahpc.org).
Arrangements are under the guidance of the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.
If you would like to send condolences to the family, send an email to Connell, Dow & Deysenroth. We will forward your comments to the family. If you would like to send flowers in memory of the deceased, contact Mohican Flowers, or call them at (607) 547-8822.
