More detail on this person: COL Gary Burnham "Bill" Murray WHITEFISH - Retired Col. Gary Burnham "Bill" Murray, 77, of Whitefish, died of natural causes Saturday at his home in Whitefish. Graveside services are 1 p.m. Dec. 23 at Whitefish Cemetery, followed by a reception at Whitefish Lake Golf Course. Austin Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Bill was born in Shelby, Montana on Oct. 22, 1933, to Burnham and Asche Murray. He spent his early childhood in Whitlash and Shelby, later moving to Havre. He graduated from Havre High School in 1952, and received a BS in business administration from St. Mary's College in Xavier, Kansas in 1972. While attending Northern Montana College in 1953, he was drafted into the Army. He attended officer candidate school and was commissioned as a second lieutenant, becoming a fixed-wing and helicopter pilot. He served one year in Korea and two tours in Vietnam, along with one tour in Germany. His last tour in Vietnam, he served in the field with the South Vietnamese military as an adviser. He remained in Vietnam after the war ended on the Peace Keeping Force, and assisted with the exchange of Vietnamese prisoners. He was awarded the Bronze Star and Silver Star, along with other commendations. He was an instructor at Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., for three years. His later military years were spent at the Pentagon and Harry Diamond Laboratories on research and development of weaponry. His final tour was as an adviser to the National Guard and Reserves in a five-state area, based at Fort Snelling, Minn. He retired in 1985, after 30 years of military service, and moved with his wife, Pauline, back to his beloved Montana, settling in Whitefish. In 1987, he started a second career as a real estate agent and broker with Chuck Olson Real Estate. He enjoyed many years golfing, drinking lots of red wine, having lunch with his buddies, Friday night dinner with friends and soaking up the sun in Borrego Springs, Calif. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Pauline, of Whitefish; daughter, Lizabeth (Scott) Patterson and grandchildren, Kate and Greg, of Ashburn, Virginia; stepson, Greg Mueller and grandchildren, Dylan, Ayla, Van and Brandt, and great-grandson, Caden, of Missoula; sister, Glee Murray, of Washington, D.C.; and brother, Greg Murray, of Billings, Montana; and extended family. His favorite charities were Shepherd's Hand Clinic, Salvation Army and the Yellowstone Boys and Girls Club.
Burial information: Whitefish Cemetery, Whitefish, MT
This information was last updated 09/05/2019
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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
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