Thursday, July 28, 2016
I am deeply saddened at hearing the news of Murray's passing. My sincere condolences to Michele, Greg and Ben as well Marilyn and Jerry. My thoughts will be with you later this week when you gather with friends and family to fondly celebrate and remember Murray's life.
Cousin Murray was a kind, warm and decent man who loved his family and always included all of the "Jimmy" Whitby (my dad) family in that family circle throughout our lives. For that consideration I will always be grateful and will always cherish the visits to the Hooker home in LaFleche, boating on Tomson Lake and cheering on our Uncle Jim and the Liberals through several elections when I was a young boy growing up in Regina. Even though Murray was fifteen years my senior, he always had time for us when we were growing up, and later as adults. He wanted to know us; he wanted to know what we were doing with our lives and helped give us a sense, through sharing family lore from when our father was younger, that we were as deeply rooted in the Saskatchewan soil as the next season's crops. He cared.
My recollections of Murray through the years always come back to a man with a big smile, a deep hearty laugh and an easy going demeanor that would always put you immediately at ease. I had the pleasure of playing golf with Murray and my brothers at the Regina Golf Club " quite a few" years ago and really appreciated the time he took to be with us while we were visiting Regina.
When I was younger, Murray and the Hooker family "seeded" in me a real affection for Labrador Retrievers. When I last saw Murray in Regina at our mother's memorial service, I was very proud to tell him that our Philadelphia family had adopted and rescued many labs, and at the time had one of each color under our roof. Murray seemed to take pleasure in hearing that I had taken his love for labs forward in my family. That was the last time I saw him, and it will be a warm, lasting memory of my older cousin Murray. God speed Murray.
