Margaret Smith Murray

October 16, 1924 — March 7, 2017

Margaret "Betsy" Smith Murray, 92, formerly of Marietta, died at her home in Durham, NC on Tuesday, March 7, 2017. Second wife of Norman J. Murray, deceased, Mrs. Murray leaves behind five grown children by her first marriage. They include Christopher E. Smith, MD and wife, Diane; Douglas W. Smith, Esq. and wife, Lillian; Margaret S. Duda and husband, Marcus Duda, MD; Pamela S. Ross and husband, Timothy Ross and Stephen R. Smith, MD and wife, Beth Armbruster. She also leaves a stepson, Norman Leight Murray and wife, Jane, of Marietta; seventeen grandchildren, four great grandchildren and two step grandchildren. Mrs. Murray's first husband, who died in 1994, was Jack E. Smith, former president of Kardex in Marietta.

A graduate of the Pennsylvania State University, she was one of the first female cheerleaders there; she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta, a women's fraternity, and an active member of Thespians and was one of twenty Senior Honor women.

While living in Danville, Pennsylvania, she was one of several women asked to form an Auxiliary to the prestigious Geisinger Medical Center, a closed staff hospital, where she also worked as a volunteer. She also helped organize a 100 member choral group in Danville.

In Jamestown, New York, she organized a select "by invitation only" hospital group, into a 1000 member volunteer group, open to all who wished to serve and was its' first president. She also became a member of the Creche, a volunteer organization which serves disadvantaged young children, and was an active member of the Mozart Club, one of the oldest musical organizations in the state of New York.

While living in the Philadelphia area, she became a member of another musical organization, the Musical Coterie of Wayne. There, she joined a group existing to help needful women to a better education. Also in Philadelphia, as a member of St. David's Episcopal Church, she reorganized the Episcopal Churchwomen and became its' president.

After moving to Parkersburg, Mrs. Murray, then Betsy Smith, served many years as a lay assistant to the clergy of Trinity Episcopal Church. She was a member of the Parkersburg Day Nursery Board, the National Society of Arts and Letters, the Colonial Dames of America, the River Hills Garden Club and the West Virginia Symphony League. Socially, she was a member of the Parkersburg Country Club and the Chautauqua Lake Yacht Club.

In all the communities where she lived, Betsy Smith Murray sang in the Episcopal Church choirs. Over the years, she wrote publicity for many organizations. Her first and only paid job was as continuity writer for Harrisburg Pennsylvania's radio station, WHGB, where she had two programs; "Betsy Says' and "Your Doctor Speaking".

Betsy Smith Murray was a home mother and loved her job of raising five children, as well as feeling fortunate that she was able to do so. She also felt a strong commitment to help other people and as a volunteer, did so all her healthy years. She leaves this commitment to help others, to her children and their children.

Funeral services will be at Trinity Episcopal Church, 430 Juliana St., Parkersburg, WV at 2:00 pm Saturday, March 11, 2017, with The Rev. Paul L. Hicks officiating.

Donations may be made to Trinity Episcopal Church, 430 Juliana St., Parkersburg, WV 26101 or to the Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption, 506 Fourth St., Marietta, OH 45750.

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Margaret Smith Murray

October 16, 1924 — March 7, 2017

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