Carl Vincent Murray, formerly of Montclair, died suddenly at his home in East Orange on June 21. He was 74.
Mr. Murray was born and raised in Montclair, the son of Oscar Murray Jr. and Helen Lumpkin.
As a youth he moved to Newark, where he became very active in the community and well-known for his respectful and lovable personality. During his high school years at West Side High, he played with the West Side Roughriders football team, which went on to win the city championship.
On Aug. 11, 1965, after graduating high school, he joined the military, where he served with the U.S. Marines.
After serving a few years, he was honorably discharged. He then was employed by Exxon Corp., where he worked as an accountant for over 30 years. During that time he went to Essex County College for his associate degree and finished up at Rutgers University, where he earned his bachelor’s in accounting.
His passion was football. He would go to West Side Park and just sit for hours watching games. He loved spending time with his children and family. His highlights were visiting with his children, playing pinochle with his buddies, going to lunch with his high school teammates and visiting Atlantic City with his cousins.
There are so many things we can say about our Dad, but the one thing that my siblings and I will always remember is that he was our HERO.
Mr. Murray is survived by his three children, Sharonda K. Gray, Shakira A. Murray and Sadiq A. Murray. He also leaves behind seven grandchildren, Shakura Murray, Indira Clark, Adira Clark, Sameerah Mitchell, Sammad Mitchell, Naif Murray and Sadiah Murray, and a host of nieces, nephews and cousins.
Private funeral services at Martin’s Funeral Home in Montclair were scheduled for June 29.