Kalas Funeral Home & Crematory

William “Bill” Talbot Murray, III, a lifelong resident of West River and Baltimore, MD, and a member of the business and banking community for thirty-eight years, died on Saturday, July 16, 2016, at his home in West River from complications of Parkinson's disease.  He was 84. 

Born November 17, 1931 in Washington, D.C., to the late William T. Murray, Jr. and Edmonia Colhoun Murray, Bill graduated from St. Andrews School in Middletown, Delaware in 1950.  He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, where he was a member of Alpha Delta Phi.

While serving in the U.S. Army from 1954-1956, he was stationed in Germany.

Bill began his career at First National Bank of Maryland as a Management Trainee.  He progressed to Assistant Cashier, Assistant Vice President, Vice President, Senior Vice President, and then became Executive Vice President of Operations, Financial Management and Trust Groups, the position he held until his retirement in July of 1994.

Bill was a member of the American Bankers Association, the Government Relations Council, and the Maryland Bankers Association, where he served as president from 1993 to 1994.  He was Chairman and Director of the Harbor Health System Corporation, Inc., Assistant Secretary on the Board of Trustees, as well as being on the Finance Committee for Harbor Hospital Center and Director of Harbor Health Foundation, Inc.  He was also a Board Member of Medstar Health.  

Reflecting his many other interests, Bill was Trustee of the Finance, Executive and Personnel Committee for the Maryland Historical Society, Trustee of Historic Londontown and Gardens, Trustee of the St. Andrews School, and President and Treasurer of the Old South River Club.  He was also a member of the Elkridge Club in Baltimore and a lifelong member of Christ Church, West River, MD.

He was preceded in death by three siblings, Harrison, James, and Edmonia Murray. 

Bill is survived by his wife of twenty-three years, the Honorable Virginia P. Clagett, former member of the Maryland House of Delegates.  He is also survived by his first wife, Sally Beer Murray, and their two children, Linda Murray of Harwood, MD and Sally Murray of West River, MD, as well as his stepchildren Brooke Clagett of Friendship, MD and John Clagett of Friendship, MD, six grandchildren and a large extended family.

Bill enjoyed gardening, spending time on the Rhode River, archeology and being with family, friends and pets, and entertaining at his beautiful Rhode River home.

He and his wife travelled extensively over the years and had many adventures. In 1995, they were in Luxor, Egypt when 67 tourists were killed coming out of Queen Hatshepsut's tomb by terrorists. Two years later they were shipwrecked on a remote Turkish island. In 2000, they journeyed up the Yangtze River to witness the landscape and geography before the river was soon flooded by the Chinese government.

A memorial service will be held at Christ Episcopal Church on Thursday, July 28, 2016 at 10:30 a.m.  A reception will follow immediately at Pirates Cove Restaurant, Galesville, MD.  In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Historic Londontown and Gardens Foundation, Inc., 839 Londontown Road, Edgewater MD 21037 or to the Maryland Historical Society, 201 West Monument St., Baltimore MD 21201.  Online condolences and tributes may be made by visiting the link on the left side of this page.

William Talbot Murray, III

William Talbot Murray, III

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