James Murray

JAMES THOMAS MURRAY 1922 ? 2013 James Thomas Murray was born in Sikeston, Missouri, January 18th 1922, the fourth and last son of Matthew Sweetman Murray and Helen Catherine Pease Murray. He grew up in Kansas City Missouri and graduated from Rockhurst High School, 1939. He attended Rockhurst College and the University of Missouri, there joining Kappa Alpha Order. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps in England and France from 1944 ? 1946 as a navigator bombardier aboard Martin B-26 Marauders. He attended the University of Tulsa, graduating in 1949. While there he met and married Sovenia (Si) Jane Rowan. Si and Jim moved to San Antonio, Texas where Jim received his Masters in Library Science from Our Lady of the Lake College in 1951. While there he worked for the San Antonio Public Library and for Southwest Research. In 1954 they moved to Austin, Texas where Jim was the librarian at St. Edward?s University. In 1957 they moved back to Tulsa where Jim became the librarian of the Sidney Born Technical Library, the science and engineering library at the University of Tulsa. He served there for 35 years, retiring in 1992. He was a member of the Special Libraries Association, serving a term as president. He also worked for Information Services which published Petroleum Abstracts. The Murrays were members of St. Francis Xavier Parish for five years when they first moved back to Tulsa. From 1962 to 2010 they were members of Church of the Madalene. There Jim was a member of the Men?s Club. He was a Liturgical Eucharistic Minister. He participated in RCIA, bringing new members into the Church. Jim Murray was a good man. He loved good food, a good drink, good friends and his family. He never met a stranger. In a world of half empty glasses, Jim?s was always brim-full. He was a devout Roman Catholic, devoted husband and loving father. He is survived by his loving wife of 66 years, Sovenia Jane, by his daughters Constance Murray and Helen Beth O?Neal and her husband Johnie O?Neal, and by his son James Thomas Murray, Jr. and his wife Debra Murray. He is also survived by his grandchildren Shellie Rea and her husband Michael, Eilis O?Neal and her husband Matthew Smith, Tristan Sublette, Ian O?Neal and by his great-granddaughter Amelia Rea. A Rosary will be held at 6:00 PM Friday evening at Franciscan Villa Chapel, Mass is scheduled for 10:00 AM on Saturday at Church of The Madalene and entombment at Calvary Cemetery to follow. In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations to Catholic Charities or the Tulsa Library Trust.

James Murray

January 18, 1922 - December 22, 2013