RANGELEY – Gertrude Rose Murray, “Trudi”, 96, of Rangeley, died peacefully on Nov. 28, 2021 in Farmington.
She was born August 29, 1925, in Brooklyn, NY, a daughter of Francis and Katherine (Kerrigan) Marr. While a student at Girls High School in Brooklyn, she met a young man named Christopher Charles Murray, Jr., “Chris”, who attended Boys High School in Brooklyn. Following graduation, Trudi began her career as a secretary to a corporate executive in NYC while Chris served in WWII.
Following his discharge from active duty they married on Sept. 14, 1946. They moved to Hempstead on Long Island where they had two children, Christopher III of the Washington, DC area and Valerie Ann (Grant) of Rangeley. She rejoined the workforces as the secretary to the Superintendent of the local school district, became President of the local administrative workers’ union and later joined the English department of Molloy College.
In 1972, their lives changed when they bought The Terraces, housekeeping cottages on Rangeley Lake. They “retired”, summered in Rangeley, and ran the business with their daughter and son-in-law, Valerie and Steve Grant for 30 years. Following the passing of her husband of 52 years in 1998, she moved to Rangeley permanently.
Trudi’s connection to education then continued as she volunteered to help the kindergarten class for several years at Rangeley Lakes Regional School. Her five grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren have been the grateful recipients of the love of a woman who truly loved children: Beth (Murray) and James Piatt of Indiana with Maggie, Kellen and Johnny; Steven and Kim (Bowman) Grant of Rangeley with Emma, Abby and Steven; Chris and Erika (Benke) Murray of Maryland with CJ and Rex; Kelly (Grant) and Patrick O’Neil of Rangeley with Emily, Keegan, Lydia and Landon; and Timothy and Emily (Sidway) Murray of Nevada with Sawyer.
She also leaves several nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her siblings: Francis Jr., Edward, Dorothy (John) Lambert and Edith (Joe) Rapisarda.
Family and friends are invited to attend a visitation at St. Luke’s Catholic Church, 19 Lake Street, Rangeley, on Thursday Dec.2 from 4:00 – 6:00 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Friday morning, Dec. 3 at 11 AM from the Church. Following Mass, a reception will be held at the Furbish Brew House and Eats, 2541 Main Street, Rangeley. All are welcome. Remembrance gifts may be given to the Rangeley Firefighter’s Association 15 School St., Rangeley, Maine 04970. Spring burial at Evergreen Cemetery, Rangeley. Winter Entombment at the Wiles Remembrance Center 137 Farmington Falls Road (Rtes. 2 & 27) Farmington, Maine. Memories and a memorial video may be shared in her Book of Memories at www.wilesrc.com.
