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2015 SESSION
WHEREAS, the Honorable James Brady Murray of Earlysville, a dedicated conservationist, businessman, and public servant who ably represented the residents of the Counties of Albemarle, Fluvanna, and Greene and the City of Charlottesville in the House of Delegates for eight years, died on January 2, 2015; and
WHEREAS, a native of Allenhurst, New Jersey, James Murray was born on the Fourth of July in 1920; he earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and a degree in electrical engineering from Yale University; and
WHEREAS, joining many of the other young men of his generation as a member of the United States Navy during World War II, James Murray served on aircraft carriers in the Pacific Ocean and was stationed in Coronado, California; and
WHEREAS, after his honorable military service, James Murray moved to New York and became president of Murray Manufacturing, the electrical equipment company founded by his grandfather, Thomas E. Murray; and
WHEREAS, in 1953, James Murray relocated to the Commonwealth and founded Panorama Farms, where he began a long, fulfilling career as a farmer and conservationist; he presided over the Virginia Water Project and served on the Thomas Jefferson Sustainability Council and the Virginia Nature Conservancy Board, where he worked to balance responsible economic growth with conservation efforts; and
WHEREAS, James Murray taught at the University of Virginia and established and managed a local branch of Murray Manufacturing, which created 700 new job opportunities in Albemarle County; and
WHEREAS, desirous to be of further service to the community and the Commonwealth, James Murray ran for and was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates; representing the residents of the Counties of Albemarle, Fluvanna, and Greene, as well as part of the City of Charlottesville, he served four terms from 1974 to 1982; and
WHEREAS, James Murray sponsored and supported many important pieces of legislation, including bills to designate the Rivanna as a National Wild and Scenic River, establish Piedmont Virginia Community College, allow organ donor designations on driver’s licenses, and grant health maintenance organizations the right to operate in the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, James Murray served the community as the chair of the Albemarle County Electoral Board for 15 years, the chair of Piedmont Virginia Community College, director of the United Virginia Bank of Charlottesville, director of the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce, and a board member of several other agencies and civic organizations; and
WHEREAS, James Murray earned many awards and accolades for his leadership and service, including the Paul Goodloe McIntire Citizenship Award and the Virginia Conservationist of the Year award in 1991; a man of great integrity, he served the Commonwealth with the utmost professionalism, dedication, and distinction; and
WHEREAS, predeceased by his wife, Bunny, and one son, Latham, James Murray will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his seven sons, 23 grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, numerous other family members and friends, and colleagues on both sides of the aisle; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of the Honorable James Brady Murray, a respected businessman, passionate conservationist, and dedicated public servant; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of the Honorable James Brady Murray as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.