(May 30, 1926 – September 6, 2026).
Murray was one of the last of the Depression and WW II generation in our families. He was a true gentleman and will be sadly missed by all who knew him. He had a wonderful memory and was fond of regaling people with tales of humourous incidents from his life.
He was born in Watrous, Saskatchewan, the third son, and last child, of Margaret Ivy Bird and Alexander Deveau (Dovauo).
The family had a hard scrabble existence in Renown, Saskatchewan. In 1938, the family moved to Murray’s grandparents’ farm in Lumby, B.C. Murray and his two brothers worked on the farm and went to school. As a teenager, one of Murray’s off-farm jobs was loading lumber into railway cars. This was manual labour; there was no mechanical help in those days.
Murray met his future wife, Rose, in high school when he was 15. They married three years later when Murray joined the Army. He was stationed in Victoria and Saskatoon but never saw overseas service.
Murray and Rose moved to Vernon after his release from the Army where Sharon was born. Another move took the family to Princeton, where Allan and Sandi were born. In 1956, Murray accepted a job with Alcan and the family moved to Kitimat for 25 years.
He was active in labour negotiations and, in 1969, earned a Sociology degree, by correspondence, from Queen’s University in Kingston to further his career.
He left Alcan and joined Teck, for several years. This meant spending time at Teck facilities in Marathon, Ontario.
Murray and Rose moved to Kamloops where Rose suddenly died in 1986.
Murray remarried in 1989 to Fay. They had a happy life of golf, travel and visits with family and friends until Fay died in 2019. After losing Fay, Murray soon moved to an independent living facility, Kamloops Seniors’ Village.
During various COVID lockdowns, Murray took to writing poems. The poems were based on his early years but also touched on themes of loss and loneliness – “…time is the thief that stole my years …”. Two books of his poems were published.
Murray’s cheerful personality and dry wit meant he was well-liked at Kamloops Seniors’ Village. Family, friends, and K.S.V. staff celebrated his 100 th birthday in May 2026.
Early in September 2026, Murray’s health deteriorated, and he moved to the Kamloops Hospice where he died on September 6.
Murray was pre-deceased by his parents; first wife Rose (née Munger); second wife Fay (formerly Jelfs, née Cairns); brother Raymond; son Allan and daughter Sharon. He is survived by his brother, Stan, who lives in England; his daughter, Sandi (David Mansfield) who lives in Nova Scotia and grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren.
Fay’s children also survive him – Rick (Don; (Morris – deceased)), Arlene, Karen (Brian), and Allan (Laura) and their children and grandchildren.
Special thanks to the staff at Kamloops Seniors’ Village and the Kamloops Hospice Society for the care and attention they gave to Murray.
At Murray’s request, there will be no memorial service.
Condolences may be sent to the family at
www.kamloopsfuneralhome.com