Marion Ann 'Marnie' Murray Tribute

I just wanted to post a few memories of Marnie, my mother-in-law. I hadn't had a chance to see her in almost a year when she passed away. The last time I saw her, she had come out to visit Palo Alto, CA. While she was here, we wound up spending a lot of time together. She really liked Palo Alto, especially its fabulous weather, although she also discovered quickly just how tricky it is to get a cab in Silicon Valley. (Palo Alto is a great town for energetic walkers and bikers, but Marnie was neither.) We got to do some very fun things. She came to a wine tasting at Stanford's Faculty Club, which featured a lot of good wines and a nice buffet. (We managed to get away without buying anything.) She also accompanied me to a local bookstore to hear an author speak about his book on mathematics. Marnie was impressed by many interesting things going on in our area. We met up beforehand and went to a local British pub. (It was really funny how Marnie's eyes would light up at the mention of the two words, "British pub." As in, "British food and a beer. Now, why would I want to do something else tonight?)

Another night, Marnie was a guest of our local Bertrand Russell Society Chapter. This group holds its monthly dinner meetings at a Chinese restaurant in Palo Alto. Marnie greatly enjoyed the philosophical conversation, and she even liked the food! Given her strong opinions on Toronto's Chinese food, this was a real shocker. She particularly liked the sauteed green beans with garlic. On another night, we were home with no dinner plans, and she suggested we get ourselves some nice Chinese takeout (delivery, actually). And yes, the green beans played a role in this plan. When we had some time to kill, I introduced her to the online game World of Warcraft. (Yes, it's true--I am in fact a nerd.) She found it quite gripping just watching me play it. (You don't think she was willing to play an online game, do you? That would have required her to USE A COMPUTER!!!) In fact, she even suggested I play it some more the next day so she could keep watching. After she went back to Toronto, she'd ask me about how the game was going sometimes when we talked, although she could never remember its name.

I really liked the time we spent together while she was out here in California, and I guess that's how I'd like to remember her. She treated me then, as she had for years, like her own son, and I was deeply grateful for that. She was a wonderful woman who will be missed.

With Love to Everyone Who Knew Her,

Peter

P.S. I'm including with this post a picture of Marnie with Rachel and me out in Palo Alto. A rare event--Marnie letting someone take her picture--and so worth remembering.