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Clinton Volunteer Loses Cancer Fight Reprinted with permission from The Clinton News, April 24, 2007 Known as “Mr. Frank” to hundreds of Clintonians, he’d lived in Clinton 30 years. He built a rich legacy of volunteer service and was an example to others who learned from him how to best serve their community. This Friday’s Frank Murray Brick Streets Firefly 5K run and walk at the Baptist Healthplex in Clinton was renamed last month in his honor. The 6:30 p.m. event will raise money for a cause special to Murray’s heart: The new Baptist Cancer Lodge in downtown Jackson. His main avocation was volunteering in his community. Wearing his Clinton Lions Club vest, Murray was a fixture at volunteer events, fundraisers and Chamber of Commerce new business ribbon-cuttings. He was given the chamber’s Distinguished Service Award in 2006, and in 2001 was recognized as the chamber's first Ambassador of the Year for his service in 2000. "During the years of Frank's involvement with the chamber, you could always count on him to follow through on any and every project that he worked on,” said chamber executive director Dianne Newman Carson. “ His sincere, welcoming smile was a mainstay at every ribbon-cutting or groundbreaking ceremony that the chamber hosted, along with his bright yellow Lions Club vest. “His goal was always to promote the business community and the quality of life in Clinton, and over the years his involvement truly exemplified the meaning of the word 'ambassador'.” And, he was a longtime survivor, emerging victorious over two open-heart surgeries, a kidney transplant and 14 months of chemotherapy to combat hepatitis C. He enjoyed a long relationship with Mississippi Blood Services, serving as a spokesman for the blood bank and appearing in its publicity campaigns. Although his health problems kept him from donating blood, transfusions saved his life many times. “Frank was a precious man, and he will be missed by all of us at Mississippi Blood Services,” said Kelly Scrivner, manager of communications and public relations. “He would occasionally stop by our Lakeland Drive office and visit. We were always amazed that despite his health problems, he was always working to help the community. He was an outstanding ambassador for us.” Said David Allen, CEO of Mississippi Blood Services: “Frank was an example of what was right with the world. He always wanted to help others in need and not worry about himself. With all of the health challenges he faced, he never let them get him down.” He was a longtime member and former president of the Clinton Noon Lions Club. He was the former sight and hearing director for the Clinton club, which annually collects about 1,200 pairs of old glasses to recycle and distribute in third-world countries. He began his civic work in 1976 with the Jaycees, where he was given a Governor’s Award. Murray participated in the American Heart Association’s “Cardiac Arrest” and American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life fundraisers and was a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, Clinton Visitor Center and the Clinton Community Nature Center. He was a member of First Baptist Church of Clinton, where he took part in the Spell-McPhail Sunday school class. Recently, Murray announced he was donating $40,000 to help construct a guest room at the new Baptist Cancer Lodge in Jackson, to be affiliated with Baptist Hospital’s Hederman Cancer Center. Patients at the Hederman Cancer Center and their families will stay at the lodge during treatment, much like families whose children are being treated at the University of Mississippi’s Children’s Hospital stay at the nearby Ronald McDonald House. The cost of a guest room is $50,000. Managers at the Baptist Healthplex in Clinton are busy raising the additional $10,000 through fundraisers to ensure that a lodge guest room carries Murray’s name. In Murray’s brave fight with cancer, he was assisted by special friends who cared for him, including Virginia McGrane of Brandon; Richard, Betty and Tori Puckett of Clinton; and Karen Denham of Clinton. Murray was born Sept. 9, 1939, to John M. and Helen E. Nible Murray on a farm near Simpson, Kan. He was preceded in death by his sisters, Ellen Louise Saine and Vivian May Krone. Murray was retired from Deluxe Check Printers, where he worked in printing and composition for 25 years. He was a U.S. Army veteran, serving both in Germany and Kansas. In addition to his many friends, he is survived by a brother, John Murray Jr. of Concordia, Kan.; and three sisters, Betty Cleo Bergmann of Beloit, JoAn M. Hilvers of Huber Heights, Ohio, and Pauline Brummer. Services will be held later this week at First Baptist Church of Clinton, with John Compton and Paul Cassibry of Clinton, a retired military chaplain, officiating. Lakewood Funeral Home of Jackson is handling arrangements. Pallbearers will be members of the Clinton Lions Club. Memorials may be made to the Baptist Health Systems Cancer Lodge or the Mississippi Lions Sight Foundation. |
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