Otis Garrison Murray, Jr.

Otis Garrison Murray, Jr.
WWII Veteran, Retired Electrician

A graveside service for Otis Garrison Murray, Jr., will be held at 11:00 on Friday, March 19, 2010 in Westover Memorial Park with the Rev. Greg Hatfield officiating. Mr. Murray died March 15, 2010, at his home, surrounded by his children and his beloved wife of 61years Hazel Allen Murray.

A native Augustan, Mr. Murray was born on Christmas Day 1923 to Otis and Ruby Quinn Murray. He played football and baseball at Richmond Academy and, responding to the attack on Pearl Harbor, declined an athletic scholarship from Presbyterian College to enlist in the U.S. Navy upon his 1942 graduation. He served in the Pacific aboard the aircraft carrier USS Altamaha for the duration of WWII. In addition to combat with Japanese forces, his ship survived the infamous “Typhoon Cobra” which sank three of the Third Fleet’s vessels.

Following the war, Mr. Murray returned to Augusta and began his career as an electrician. He was a member of IBEW #1579 for 62 years and worked on several major construction projects including the Savannah River Plant, the New York World’s Fair, the Kennedy Space Center, and nuclear power plants Hatch and Vogtle. He also volunteered in the construction of Greene Street (now St. Andrews) Presbyterian Church West. In addition to being a lifelong member of Greene Street Presbyterian Church, Mr. Murray was a member of American Legion Post 205. He was an avid hunter, fisherman and sports fan—even playing city-league and church-league softball well into his 60s.

Mr. Murray will be remembered for his sense of humor, appreciation of history and, most of all, love for his family. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his son Allen Garrison Murray and wife Dianna of Reidsville, Georgia, and his four daughters Anne Murray Sims, Kay Murray Davenport and her husband Joey, Lynda M. Rigdon and her husband Michael, and Gayle Murray, all of Augusta; eleven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother and sister-in-law Bill and Sara Murray of Cordele and his brother-in-law Robert Chumbley of Thomson and was pre-deceased by his sister Ruby Chumbley and his brother Walter B. Murray.

Pallbearers will be Troy Wilson, Shane English, Jared Blocker and Mr. Murray’s grandsons Daniel Rigdon, Billy Murray and Justin Bradley. The family will receive visitors from 6:00 to 8:00 Thursday evening at Platt’s Funeral Home on Crawford Avenue.