Ruth Alberta Brock McMurray

January 29, 1922 – June 25, 2011

Ruth Alberta Brock McMurray was born January 29, 1922, in Leduc, in the Province of Alberta, Canada to John Rupert Brock and Elizabeth Geier Brock. She moved with her family to Washington in the first year of her life and grew up in Seattle in a house on Denny way. She had two sisters, Virginia Baker and Violet Fish, and a brother, James Hugh Brock. Ruth graduated from Cathedral in 1935, Holy Names Academy in 1939 and Seattle University in 1943 where she earned a degree in Sociology.  She married Joseph Clear McMurray on November 20, 1943, at St. James Cathedral with her sister, Virginia, as her maid-of-honor. Ruth followed Joe to New York where he was stationed in the Army and had the first of seven children, Michael Joseph McMurray. She has described this period of her life as the happiest of times. They later moved to Washington DC where Joe earned his law degree from Georgetown University while Ruth worked as a legal secretary. During this time John Maurice McMurray, the winner of the most beautiful baby photo contest, was born. Ruth was delighted with her two sons and after moving back to Seattle had four more sons, Lawrence Brock, William Peter, Daniel Patrick, Edward Lloyd and her only girl, Elizabeth Anne. Joe and Ruth settled in their home on Capitol Hill as active members of the St. Joseph community. In addition to raising children and running a busy household Ruth worked as a legal secretary for her husband. In 1972 Ruth moved with Joe and her three youngest children, Elizabeth, Dan and Ed, to Juneau, Alaska, and began a ten-year career with the State of Alaska that included working in the Governor’s office and as an Administrative Assistant at the Department of Transportation. She fell in love with Juneau making many friends and serving on multiple committees for her church, The Cathedral of the Nativity, including ten years as the head of the lecture committee. She lost her beloved son, Lawrence in 1979 and her husband, Joseph, in 1989. In her later years Ruth split her time between her home in Alaska and her daughter’s home in Woodinville, Washington where she helped to raise her grandchildren, Amanda, Nathan and Megan, and enjoyed a loving and close relationship with her daughter and son-in-law, Gary Hauk. She enjoyed traveling including a tour of Europe with a church group, ten trips to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and annual jaunts to Dallas, Texas to visit her son, John and his wife, Ann. Ruth was an accomplished seamstress and was given a lifetime achievement award for her work at Juanita High School where she spent many hours helping with costuming for the school’s Theatre Program. Ruth loved to swim, fish, do crossword puzzles, attend the theatre, hike, watch golf, football and basketball and was an avid reader. Ruth was a kind, creative woman who was deeply interested in life and took great pride in the accomplishments of every member of her family. She is survived by her five sons Mike, John, Bill, Dan, Ed, daughter Elizabeth, son-in-law Gary Hauk, daughters-in-law Judith McMurray, Ann Stromberger, Maureen McMurray, Julie Riley; Grandchildren Lisa Pinpin, Denise McMurray, Joy Byrd, Joseph McMurray, Matthew McMurray, Amanda Hauk, Nathan Hauk, Megan Hauk, Zachary Krokos-McMurray; Sister Violet Fish, as well as other well-loved members of a large and extended group of family and friends. The family asks that remembrances be made in Ruth’s name to the Cathedral of the Nativity in Juneau, Alaska, or in the name of her beloved grandson, Nathan, to Children’s Hospital in Seattle. Ruth lived an extraordinary life and will be remembered for her warm and generous nature, her delight in learning new things, and her deep love for family. Memorial service: 11:30 AM, July 6, 2011, St. Joseph’s. 732 18^th Ave East, Seattle, WA 98112