Obituary of John E. Murray

John Edmund Murray of Binghamton, New York passed away on Thursday, April 19, 2018. Mr. Murray was born November 9, 1929 in Brooklyn, New York to his father John Murray and mother Catherine (Martin) Murray. Mr. Murray received his J.D. in 1952 from St John's University School of Law. From 1952 to 1954 he served in the JAG Unit of the United States Army, was awarded the National Defense Service Medal and remained in the Army reserves until 1960. From 1954 to1956 he practiced law at Bevin & Welsh in NYC and achieved a Masters of Law Degree at New York University. He was a member of the New York State Bar Association and held a certificate of admission to the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States. In 1958 Mr. Murray moved to Binghamton, NY where he met his wife Mary. He practiced law at the firm of Palmer & Hackin until 1963 when he became a New York State Workers Compensation Board Referee. In 1964 he was elected President of the Broome County Young Republican Club. In January, 1966, he was appointed First Assistant Public Defender and served in that position until late 1971. In December 1971, Mr. Murray was appointed Broome County Attorney and held that position for almost twenty years. He was also an active member of the NYS Association of Counties. He 1991, he joined the law practice of Levene, Gouldin & Thompson LLP in Vestal , N.Y. and retired in 2003. Mr. Murray was active in his church, St. Thomas Aquinas and often led readings on Sundays. A sports enthusiast, he loved playing tennis, basketball and skiing with his children. He was a loving father and grandfather to his nine grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Pamela Marie and his two brothers Robert and Joseph Murray. Survivors include his wife Mary Christine, his sons William Wheeler Murray and his wife June, Edmund Christopher Murray and his wife Patricia, his daughter Laura K.M. Graves and her husband Anthony Graves and grandchildren Michelle and Julia Patane, Megan and Kaitlyn Murray, Grace and Edmund Murray, and Kira, Emilyn and Henry Wheeler. A Funeral Mass will be offered at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Highland Avenue, Binghamton, Monday at 10 A.M. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, Johnson City. The family will receive friends at the J. A. McCormack Sons Funeral Home, 141 Main Street, Binghamton, Sunday from 1-3 P.M.