Celebration of Life planned June 21 for Jay Murray, 1936-2025

Family and friends will gather June 21 to celebrate the life of Jay Murray, and are sharing this remembrance with his community now:

Jay Murray, lifelong resident of West Seattle, passed away peacefully at his family’s mountain retreat in Silverton, WA, on Friday, March 7th, 2025, where he and his family have enjoyed life alongside the South Fork of the Stillaguamish River since his childhood. He passed away just shy of his 89th birthday. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Joanne (McCarthy) Murray; his son Vern Murray (Jenny); daughter Meredith (Murray) Blache; and five grandchildren: Renee (Erik), Mercedes, Fiadh, Matthew and August.

Jay had long enjoyed photography as a hobby, building a darkroom and make-shift studio at home. Jay and Joanne bought an established photography studio on SW Oregon Street in the West Seattle Junction in 1966. Murray’s Studio captured cherished memories for decades, and many West Seattleites remember Jay as the photographer for their senior and family portraits and wedding photos. Eventually moving the studio to 4740 California Avenue SW, Jay and Joanne expanded their business to include bridal and formal wear.

Jay was involved in many West Seattle organizations and served as president of the West Seattle Junction Association, the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, the West Seattle Hi-Yu community festival, and the West Seattle High School Alumni Association. He was also secretary of the Rotary Club of West Seattle.

Jay was a member of the Admiral United Church of Christ and, as a lover of music, he sang in his church choir and several barbershop groups.

Born April 24, 1936, to Clarence and Laverne Murray of West Seattle, Jay had two older sisters, Joy Humphreys and Jane Keitges, who preceded him in death.

He attended Jefferson Elementary, James Madison Junior High, and West Seattle High School, graduating in 1955.

While still in high school, Jay was sworn into the US Army by his father on his 17th birthday. He served in the Army Reserves until called to active duty from 1956 to 1958, after which he remained in the Reserves. Called again to active duty deployments at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, in Kuwait during Desert Shield/Desert Storm, and in Somalia during Operation Restore Hope, he served a total of 43 years in the US Army, retiring in 1996 with the rank of Chief Warrant Officer CW4.

Active in several local, state, and national professional photography organizations, Jay was president of the Professional Photographers of Seattle and the Professional Photographers of Washington. Winning many awards, Jay was proud to be recognized as a Photographic Craftsman by the Professional Photographers of America and a Fellow of Photography by the Professional Photographers of Washington.

Jay and Joanne traveled and enjoyed the great outdoors, from the mountains to the sea. Both avid skiers, they joined Sahalie Ski Club at Snoqualmie Pass in 1961. They also enjoyed Whistler and Blackcomb, where they celebrated his 83rd birthday skiing with three generations of family. He and Joanne traveled to Hawaii almost every year. They especially cherished walking the beaches at Bellows Field on Oahu.

Friends are invited to a Celebration of Jay’s Life on Saturday, June 21st, at 2:00 pm at Admiral Church, 4320 SW Hill St, Seattle (California Ave SW & SW Hill Street).

(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries and memorial announcements by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to westseattleblog@gmail.com)

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