A legacy of courage, kindness and generosity

Someone who meant a great deal to me passed away recently. He almost made it to his 101st birthday. He had accomplished important and meaningful things in his life and made significant sacrifices for and contributions to the world, society, and his community. What I most admired was that he and his wife, who were together for 73 years, raised a large, loving and talented family, built a business, and still had room to give extensively to their community and welcome many others into their lives, including me, their goddaughter.

What I will remember most about him was that even at 100 years of age, he would light up on the other end of the phone when I called. He made me feel special every time we spoke, even though weeks, months, or years may have passed between the calls. He continued to model kindness. I made a point to call him more frequently in recent years, and I'm grateful for that.

For me, the Maya Angelou quote below best expresses his legacy and serves as a reminder to me, especially on those days when daily stresses get the best of me.

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou

Rest in peace Mr. Bruce Murray. My condolences to the Murray family.