Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Calls outside of office hours? No worries! Our team will respond within 10–15 minutes.
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Sunday, March 29, 2015 from 2-6 PM. Funeral Services will be held at 11 AM on Monday, March 30, 2015 at the funeral home.
Hubert A. Murray, age 79 of Wayne, died peacefully on Wednesday, March 25, 2015. He had been a resident of Packanack Lake since 1962.
Hubert was raised in Ridgefield, NJ and graduated from St. Cecilia High School with the class of 1953. When he was a teenager, his mother encouraged him to expand his horizons, so at sixteen years old, he hitchhiked across the United States until he landed in the town of Medicine Bow, Wyoming. He took a job there as a ranch hand and quickly discovered his ‘inner cowboy.’ The experience he had in Wyoming was like nothing he could have ever imagined growing up in the shadow of New York City, but he absolutely loved it and developed a lifelong friendship with the family that owned the ranch. He’s returned there several times to visit, most recently driving out there with his granddaughter Zoe – a trip full of memories she is sure to treasure her entire lifetime.
Upon returning to New Jersey, he finished high school and enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he became a paratrooper. This was a dichotomous time in his life; he loved the adventure, but missed his independence. Ultimately, the experience would shape the rest of his life. After being honorably discharged in 1956, he was employed by the telephone company as an installer. It was at this time that Hubert met his wife Barbara (nee Muendel) at Mass on Holy Saturday in Ridgefield. He ask for a ride home even though he only lived around the block from the church, so she gave him a lift. Soon thereafter he visited one of her gymnastics events and her competitive nature won him over. They went dancing on one of their early dates and Hubert proved to be a fantastic dancer. Barbara taught him the Polka and they enjoyed many nights dancing.
Soon after, Barbara encouraged him to take advantage of the GI Bill and get an education. Hubert earned a Bachelor's degree from St. Peters College in Jersey City. Not only was he the first in the family to earn a degree, but during that time Hubert married Barbara and started a family. By the time he graduated, Robert and Thomas were already born. He began a career as a science teacher at the Anthony Wayne Middle School in Wayne, but within a few years he chose a different path and became a sales representative with Pfizer. He enjoyed thirty one years with Pfizer and created lifelong friendships with many of his clients. In fact last month, while on vacation in Florida, he visited a retired doctor who he had befriended many years ago while representing Pfizer. Hubert retired in 1998, but he never slowed down.
To simply describe Hubert as a pharmaceutical rep. would be an injustice. He had a passionate love of learning and taught himself to be a competent carpenter, plumber, electrician, mason, architect, scientist, engineer, car mechanic, and so much more. He did all of his own home improvements with skill that rivaled the professionals and recently retrofitted his home with a state of the art heating system that he was very proud of. Hubert also had a bit of wanderlust ever since he was a boy, and he tamed that with the help of his custom van and travel trailer, fondly named “Big Blue” & “Sunny.” He had logged over one hundred thousand miles on the travel trailer (for which he kept a thorough written logbook documenting his travels) crisscrossing the nation on numerous journeys. On the 60th anniversary of his hitchhiking out west, he embarked on a five week cross-country tour and visited the Wyoming ranch where he had worked so many years ago. As recently as this month, he and his wife Barbara drove down to the Florida Keys and back, stopping along the way to visit with family and old acquaintances. He loved his many adventures and certainly got his share of enjoyment out of that van and camper.
Hubert also loved his community in Packanack Lake. He became involved in the Packanack Lake Association many years ago, serving on the Board of Governors and as President of the Packanack Lake Athletic Association. He was active as a coach and was recently inducted into the Packanack “Hall of Fame”. He also spent many years as a Packanack Player, particularly noted for his performance as John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. Hubert had several friends with whom he would walk every morning, doing the circuit around the lake, beginning at about 5 AM. He looked forward to those jaunts every day and his fellow walkers will surely miss his story telling and presence in the coming days. He has been an active member of the ROMEOS and President of Members of Leisure.
Hubert is survived by his loving wife, of 56 years, Barbara, and four children; Robert and his wife Leslie of Stockbridge, MA, Thomas and his wife Rhonda Gottlieb of New York, NY, Donald of New York, NY, and Charissa Cronin and her husband Brian of Wayne, five beloved grandchildren; Stephen Murray of Lenox, MA, Megan Murray and her husband Chris Morris of Lenox, MA, and Zoe, Patrick and Robert Cronin of Wayne, one brother; Brian Murray of Jersey City, his brother-in-law; Robert Muendel of Hoboken, and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his brother John Murray many years ago.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Hubert’s memory would be greatly appreciated.Please consider the Wayne Memorial First Aid Squad, P.O. Box 2004, Wayne, NJ 07474, or help support National Public Radio (NPR) with a donation to; WNYC (NPR), ATTN: Membership, 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013.
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Sunday, March 29, 2015 from 2-6 PM. Funeral Services will be held at 11 AM on Monday, March 30, 2015 at the funeral home.
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Sunday, March 29, 2015 from 2-6 PM. Funeral Services will be held at 11 AM on Monday, March 30, 2015 at the funeral home.
Hubert A. Murray, age 79 of Wayne, died peacefully on Wednesday, March 25, 2015. He had been a resident of Packanack Lake since 1962.
Hubert was raised in Ridgefield, NJ and graduated from St. Cecilia High School with the class of 1953. When he was a teenager, his mother encouraged him to expand his horizons, so at sixteen years old, he hitchhiked across the United States until he landed in the town of Medicine Bow, Wyoming. He took a job there as a ranch hand and quickly discovered his ‘inner cowboy.’ The experience he had in Wyoming was like nothing he could have ever imagined growing up in the shadow of New York City, but he absolutely loved it and developed a lifelong friendship with the family that owned the ranch. He’s returned there several times to visit, most recently driving out there with his granddaughter Zoe – a trip full of memories she is sure to treasure her entire lifetime.
Upon returning to New Jersey, he finished high school and enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he became a paratrooper. This was a dichotomous time in his life; he loved the adventure, but missed his independence. Ultimately, the experience would shape the rest of his life. After being honorably discharged in 1956, he was employed by the telephone company as an installer. It was at this time that Hubert met his wife Barbara (nee Muendel) at Mass on Holy Saturday in Ridgefield. He ask for a ride home even though he only lived around the block from the church, so she gave him a lift. Soon thereafter he visited one of her gymnastics events and her competitive nature won him over. They went dancing on one of their early dates and Hubert proved to be a fantastic dancer. Barbara taught him the Polka and they enjoyed many nights dancing.
Soon after, Barbara encouraged him to take advantage of the GI Bill and get an education. Hubert earned a Bachelor's degree from St. Peters College in Jersey City. Not only was he the first in the family to earn a degree, but during that time Hubert married Barbara and started a family. By the time he graduated, Robert and Thomas were already born. He began a career as a science teacher at the Anthony Wayne Middle School in Wayne, but within a few years he chose a different path and became a sales representative with Pfizer. He enjoyed thirty one years with Pfizer and created lifelong friendships with many of his clients. In fact last month, while on vacation in Florida, he visited a retired doctor who he had befriended many years ago while representing Pfizer. Hubert retired in 1998, but he never slowed down.
To simply describe Hubert as a pharmaceutical rep. would be an injustice. He had a passionate love of learning and taught himself to be a competent carpenter, plumber, electrician, mason, architect, scientist, engineer, car mechanic, and so much more. He did all of his own home improvements with skill that rivaled the professionals and recently retrofitted his home with a state of the art heating system that he was very proud of. Hubert also had a bit of wanderlust ever since he was a boy, and he tamed that with the help of his custom van and travel trailer, fondly named “Big Blue” & “Sunny.” He had logged over one hundred thousand miles on the travel trailer (for which he kept a thorough written logbook documenting his travels) crisscrossing the nation on numerous journeys. On the 60th anniversary of his hitchhiking out west, he embarked on a five week cross-country tour and visited the Wyoming ranch where he had worked so many years ago. As recently as this month, he and his wife Barbara drove down to the Florida Keys and back, stopping along the way to visit with family and old acquaintances. He loved his many adventures and certainly got his share of enjoyment out of that van and camper.
Hubert also loved his community in Packanack Lake. He became involved in the Packanack Lake Association many years ago, serving on the Board of Governors and as President of the Packanack Lake Athletic Association. He was active as a coach and was recently inducted into the Packanack “Hall of Fame”. He also spent many years as a Packanack Player, particularly noted for his performance as John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. Hubert had several friends with whom he would walk every morning, doing the circuit around the lake, beginning at about 5 AM. He looked forward to those jaunts every day and his fellow walkers will surely miss his story telling and presence in the coming days. He has been an active member of the ROMEOS and President of Members of Leisure.
Hubert is survived by his loving wife, of 56 years, Barbara, and four children; Robert and his wife Leslie of Stockbridge, MA, Thomas and his wife Rhonda Gottlieb of New York, NY, Donald of New York, NY, and Charissa Cronin and her husband Brian of Wayne, five beloved grandchildren; Stephen Murray of Lenox, MA, Megan Murray and her husband Chris Morris of Lenox, MA, and Zoe, Patrick and Robert Cronin of Wayne, one brother; Brian Murray of Jersey City, his brother-in-law; Robert Muendel of Hoboken, and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his brother John Murray many years ago.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Hubert’s memory would be greatly appreciated.Please consider the Wayne Memorial First Aid Squad, P.O. Box 2004, Wayne, NJ 07474, or help support National Public Radio (NPR) with a donation to; WNYC (NPR), ATTN: Membership, 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013.
Guestbook