Robert Hazzard Murray

Obituary & Life History

Robert Hazzard Murray, 73, of Zanesville, passed away March 1, 2010, in Altamonte Springs, Florida, following a lengthy illness. Mr. Murray was born...

Robert Hazzard Murray, 73, of Zanesville, passed away March 1, 2010, in Altamonte Springs, Florida, following a lengthy illness.

Mr. Murray was born in Zanesville on April 5, 1936, the son of Joseph and Marguerite (Williams) Murray. A 1954 graduate of Philo High School, Hazzard – as he was known to his classmates and friends throughout his life - enlisted in the Navy after graduation, and served his country as a sonarman on destroyers with the U.S. Second Fleet, and a Korean War Veteran. After his discharge from the Navy, he continued to work for the Dept. of Defense as a maintenance technician for missile inertial guidance systems, prior to settling into a career as a wholesaler of HVAC systems for various companies throughout Ohio, including Vorys Brothers, Inc., in Columbus. He was happy to return to his roots in Zanesville in 1996 where he then worked for Habegger Heating and Cooling until his retirement in August 2000. In late 2009 he moved to Florida to live with family, for health reasons.

Mr. Murray enjoyed sports throughout his life, taking up hunting and fishing at an early age, and was an avid boxing, baseball (New York Yankees), basketball, and football (Ohio State Buckeyes) fan. He stayed active with bowling leagues throughout the years, and also became an accomplished country-western line dancer. His other hobbies included amateur photography, reading, and the collection and cultivation of cacti and other succulent plants, about which he was most passionate. Mr. Murray attended the Trinity United Presbyterian Church, and was a member of the American Legion, Zanesville Post No. 29.

Mr. Murray is survived by his son and his wife, Scott and Angie, Chuluota, FL; two grandchildren, Piper and Evan; niece Kathy (Magee) Bleyer, Peoria, AZ; nephews Kevin and Brian Magee, both of Las Vegas, NV; cousins Lynne Ann (Haehnlen) Sprague of Zanesville and Thea (Murray) Burns, Donna (Murray) Grove and Betty (Murray) Evans all of Columbus, Libby Gates of Villa Park, Calif., and Barbara Isu of Panama City, FL; special friends Vivian and Frank Stewart of Hebron.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister Jo Corrine (Murray) Magee; nephew Patrick Magee; cousins Jack Murray, Mary (Murray) Stinson, Thea (Williams) Anderson and Peg (Williams) Haehnlen, and close friend Raymond Lee Wallace.

Funeral services for Robert H. Murray will be held at 1:00 p.m., Tuesday, March 9, at the Bryan & Snider Funeral Home, 2318 Maple Avenue with Rev. Ray Morrison officiating. Interment will be at the Duncan Falls Cemetery with VFW Post 1058 conducting military services. Family and friends are welcome at the Bryan & Snider Funeral Home on Monday, March 8, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., and again on Tuesday from Noon until the time of service.

Memorial contributions may be given in Hazzard’s memory to the Alzheimer’s Association, 408 9th St. SW, Canton, OH 44707.