Dr. Richard John McMurray

Richard John McMurray, 95, of Petoskey, MI, died January 27, 2018, at home, with loving family nearby.

Son of Hugh and Bernice McMurray, Richard was born September 9, 1922, and raised in Coldwater, MI. He attended William Jewell College in Missouri and after serving in the south Pacific during World War II, married LaMoine Grove in 1947, as he completed his first year of medical school at the University of Michigan.

After finishing a residency in obstetrics and gynecology in Ann Arbor, Richard settled the family in Flint, MI, where he practiced medicine for 37 years. He helped bring some 5000 babies into the world and was loved by many patients and colleagues who, even 25 years into his retirement, continued to check in with him. He served as chief of obstetrics and a member of the executive committee at McLaren Hospital in Flint and was a member of the teaching staff at Hurley Medical Center.

Active in physician and patient advocacy organizations, Richard served on the Board of Blue Shield of Michigan, was president of both the Genesee County Medical Society and the Michigan State Medical Society, and chaired the American Medical Association’s Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs.

A lifelong lover of golf, Richard was a member of the Flint Golf Club for many years and served a term as club president. In later years he was also a member of the Walloon Lake Country Club, until health issues forced him to give up the game at 90.

When he was 40, Richard took up skiing and soon after became a member of the National Ski Patrol. For nearly 50 years he served on the ski patrol at Boyne Highlands in Harbor Springs, traveling back and forth from Flint on weekends for four decades.

In 1980 the McMurrays bought a cottage on Walloon Lake where they enjoyed spending family time. In 2007 they permanently moved to Petoskey, settling in a home on a bluff overlooking Little Traverse Bay. Richard considered himself “a lucky guy” and believed in contributing to the community. He greatly enjoyed his active participation in the Rotary Club of Petoskey.

Richard read avidly and with great retention. Extroverted and curious, he enjoyed and learned much from strangers he encountered on the golf course or a chair lift. He was a good conversationalist and led engaging discussions with family and friends, whether at a formal dinner or during a sunny morning on the cottage porch. He loved to laugh and was not above telling the occasional story that embarrassed his wife.

In the last years of his life, Richard accepted the limitations imposed by his declining health with grace and good humor.  A realistic optimist, he never dwelled on what was lost but focused on all that remained. He was a supportive father, grandfather and friend who, though he could no longer participate, remained interested in the many activities of those he cared about.

Richard was preceded in death by his wife of 64 years, LaMoine, and his sister, Doris Ann.  He is survived by his children Gail (George) Martin, Mark (Laurie), and Kirk (Brad), grandchildren Sarah Martin, Bailey (Adam) Wagner, Kaitlin Martin, Ben (Brittany) McMurray, Rebecca (David) Blake, Mara McMurray, and great grandson, Leo Wagner.

A memorial service celebrating his life will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, February 3, at Stone Funeral Home, Petoskey. Family will receive friends that morning beginning at 10 a.m. The family requests memorial contributions be directed to the Salvation Army, Hospice of Michigan, or the Rotary Club of Petoskey.

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