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Mary Louise Murray

Mary Louise Murray died on Tuesday, July 17, 2018, at the age of 85. Mary “Lou” was a beloved spouse, mother and grandmother and is survived by her daughter, Margaret Bogdan; son, Joseph Murray; her brother, Daniel Donoghue; 16 grandchildren, Daniel, Bridgett, William and Grace Bogdan, Patrick Murray, Father Matthew Murray, Sheila, Claire, Kieran, Thomas, Joseph, Stephen, Michael, Fulton, John and Mary Murray; and her dearly loved son-in-law, Dennis Bogdan and daughter-in-law, Margaret Murray.

Mary Lou was born in Chicago, Ill., on March 8, 1933, and was the youngest of three children. She was very ill as an infant and doctors urged her parents to move to a place with a better climate than Chicago. At the age of three months, Mary Lou’s family moved to Southern California. Her family settled down in Brentwood and she attended Saint Monica’s High School in Santa Monica, Calif. Mary Lou had two older brothers: Robert Donoghue, who became a Catholic priest and Daniel Donoghue who served in the Navy, traveling the globe on submarines. In the summer of 1955, Robert brought home a seminary friend from the East Coast named William “Bill” Murray. After meeting Mary Lou, William found his vocation in life was not the priesthood, but marriage. He left the seminary and headed west to be with his future bride. William and Mary Lou were married August 3, 1957. William would go on to become an attorney and then a corporate counsel for Hughes Aircraft and Santa Barbara Research Center. Mary Lou gave birth to their first child, Stephen in 1959 and later adopted Margaret in 1965 and Joseph in 1967. In the 1970s and early 1980s, Mary Lou worked as a facilities coordinator for Aerospace Corporation in El Segundo, Calif. The couple lived in Westchester, Calif., for nearly 30 years, and in 1983 moved to Santa Barbara where Mary Lou became president of the Santa Barbara Newcomers Association. William and Mary Lou retired in 1995 and in 2000 moved to Camarillo, Calif. Mary Lou’s family life, activities and career were important, but Mary Lou also had a very deep Catholic Christian faith. She had a solid prayer life and after Holy Communion at Sunday Mass, she would close her eyes and contemplate her profound encounter with Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

In 2001 tragedy struck the family when Stephen died in a house fire at the age of 42. The loss of her son was a deep wound for Mary Lou, but she carried herself with grace, and although filled with sorrow, experienced great joy with her family and her many grandchildren.

In 2010, Mary Lou was diagnosed with dementia and later Alzheimer’s disease. The disease certainly took its toll on Mary Lou, but her family and caregivers would attest that she became like a precious little child and the next eight years of her life, although difficult, were a time of tremendous joy for her family. On April 21, 2016, her husband William died, and on July 5, 2016, her daughter moved Mary Lou to Post Falls, Idaho, and into Living Springs, where she received extraordinary care and daily visits from Margaret and the grandchildren.

Mary Lou was and is a true gift to her family and will be so missed. Her family is so grateful to have shared their life with such a beautiful mother and grandmother. A Rosary service will take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 26, 2018, at Saint Joseph’s Church in Spirit Lake, Idaho. The funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 27, 2018, at Saint Joseph’s Church. Funeral arrangements are provided by Bell Tower Funeral Home. Please visit Mary’s online memorial at www.belltowerfuneralhome.com.