Michael Anthony Murray Deceased: October 7, 2010 Service Information: Visitation: Sunday, October 10, 2010 3pm to 7pm Funeral Mass: Monday 11am at St. Vincent DePaul Church, 1010 W. Webster Ave

Messages

October 9, 2010

Michael A. Murray
February 22, 1940 — October 7, 2010

Beloved son of Joseph A. Murray and Anne Marie Steigerwald, Michael Anthony Murray was born on February 22, 1940. He grew up in Ottawa, Ill., in a postwar plywood house with his older siblings Joseph and Anne Marie and younger brother Paul. From the age of six to his early teens, young Michael wanted to be a priest. At the same time, he eagerly soaked up everything he could about history and other cultures—interests he would nurture throughout his life, as a Civil War history buff and an avid traveler.

His brother Paul recalls big brother Mike’s kindness as well as his protectiveness: “Anybody who messed with his little brother, they were messing around with Mike.” Growing up in poverty made Michael sympathetic to the plight of the less fortunate, and as an adult he remained a compassionate champion of the underprivileged.

After backpacking around the world, Michael attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 1960 to 1969, during which time he completed a B.A. in History, an M.A. in Public Administration and a Ph.D. in Government. He went on to receive a J.D. degree from Northwestern University in 1979.

A widely admired professor and attorney known for his integrity, compassion and character, Michael served on the faculty of DePaul University for 31 years, as Graduate Dean in 1979–’80 and most recently (since 2004) as Saint Vincent DePaul Professor of Management and Business Law in the College of Commerce. A passionate teacher, he was a winner of DePaul’s Excellence in Teaching Award, served on the university’s Board for Promotion and Tenure from 2000 to 2009 and on Faculty Council from 2000 to 2004, and published widely in a broad range of academic journals. DePaul colleagues remember him as a committed DePaulian dedicated to the university’s Vincentian values.

Prior to his career at DePaul, Michael served as Vice President of Spertus College from 1976 to 1979. He also forged strong ties with Chicago’s Ethiopian community through his involvement with the Wild Hare Corporation from 1984 to 2004. From 1996 to 2004 he served as president and chairman of the board. The Wild Hare is a renowned reggae club in Chicago’s Wrigleyville neighborhood.

An adventurous traveler who spoke several languages, Michael taught and inspired students around the world, including in Hong Kong, Greece, Russia, Bahrain, Ireland and the Czech Republic. In 1996–’97 he traveled as a Fulbright Scholar to Lithuania, where he met his current wife Jurate, whom he married on December 5, 1998.

In May 2008 he was admitted as an attorney and counselor to the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States. It gave him great pleasure to bring a group of business law students with him to Washington, D.C., to observe the induction ceremony.

Active and tireless until the moment he passed away, Michael loved swimming daily and had recently restarted his law practice, Murray & Nixon, with longtime friend and colleague Charles Nixon. He took an active role in his son Michael’s school, The British School of Chicago, as an elected member of the School Consultative Group from 2008 to 2010, where he served on the College Relations committee. Always seeking to broaden his knowledge, he was preparing to pursue a Doctor of Canon Law degree.

Michael loved spending time with his wife Jurate and little Michael at his second home on Washington Island, Wis. Guests who were fortunate to visit him on “the island” he spoke of so fondly saw a different side of Michael, where his love of the outdoors and working with his hands in his self-built workshop took precedence over academic and intellectual pursuits. With the help of little Michael, he was in the process of building a small wooden house modeled on Thoreau’s cabin at Walden Pond on his property overlooking Lake Michigan.

Michael was a respected colleague and a dear friend to many, as well as a devoted husband and loving father. He passed away suddenly in his home on October 7, 2010, with Jurate and little Michael nearby.

Scott Young, Chairman of the Department of Management at DePaul University, commented, “Michael met with me last week to discuss taking a sabbatical so that he could pursue a doctorate in Canonical Law. This was very much in keeping with his thirst for knowledge and meaning. I had always been aware that Michael received excellent teaching ratings but had not been aware of the reverence his students had for him until I taught a class in Bahrain that had just completed a course with Michael. The class, almost entirely Muslim, spoke of the class as ‘life-changing.’ He was clearly a voice of reason in departmental and university affairs and was skilled in academic politics. I personally benefited immensely from the advice he gave to me as Chairman. He will be sorely missed.”

Patrick J. Murphy, Associate Professor, Department of Management, added, “For seven years Michael served as my mentor as I went through the university tenure-track process, and our offices were next door to one another. I was witness to the magical effect he had on students and colleagues, and I also experienced it myself… When he lectured, he did not use slides or notes. He was known for intense, discussion-based classes that were mesmerizing and transformational to participants… Everyone knew Michael was the best when it came to engaging complex issues and bringing about effective resolutions, especially in faculty meetings. Michael also had an incredible ability to listen. No matter how busy he was, how small the matter seemed, or long-winded one was, Michael gave full attention. Whether you were a colleague or a student, he would wait until you made your point and then give you some of the most helpful advice you had ever received.”

Michael is survived by his wife Jurate (nee Vilkaite) Murray and son Michael James Murray of Chicago, Ill.; his son John Murray (Meike Lemmens) and grandchildren Jake and Maggie of Huntington Beach, Calif.; his sister Anne Marie Murray of Tucson, Ariz.; and brother Paul Murray (Yvonne Hartmankok Murray) of Sun City, Calif., nieces Gretchen Murray, Emily Clair Murray and Emily Ashley McKellar, and nephews Kenneth McKellar and Aaron McKellar.

Michael was a prostate cancer survivor. Friends and colleagues wishing to make a contribution in his name should send donations to the Urological Research Foundation, Director William J. Catalona, P.O. Box 855, Manchester, MO, 63011, www.drcatalona.com.

October 13, 2010

To those close to my cousin Michael Murray, I mourn your loss.
To family - I hope you will contact me.
Laurel