A Life Well Lived:
BWH Celebrates the Legacy of Joseph Murray
Dr. Joseph Murray’s family thanked the BWH community during last week's celebration of his life. Above: Wife Bobby Murray (third from right) gathers with children (from left) Ginny, J. Link, Katherine and Rick by his portrait. |
A grateful Bobby Murray graced BWHers with her reflections
on the pivotal role of the Brigham in her life and the life of her husband of
67 years, Joseph E. Murray, MD, who passed away in November. As she addressed
those gathered at the Jan. 10 Celebration of the Life and Legacy of Dr. Murray
in the Bornstein Amphitheater, she spoke fondly about her memories of waiting
at the hospital for Murray to complete his rounds while they were dating.
"You can't begin to know how much this place has meant to
us," she said, referencing the almost life-long connection the Murrays have
with the Brigham.
Murray is perhaps best known world-wide for performing the
first organ transplant at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in 1954, an
accomplishment that opened the doors to a new field in medicine and changed the
lives of thousands of patients in need of a transplant. But the Jan. 10 event
also shed light on the many important roles Murray played throughout his
life-as a surgeon, soldier, scientist, mentor and family man.
"In the largest sense, Joe the neighbor, Dr. Murray the
surgeon and Joe the father was one and the same person," said Rick Murray, the
Murrays' youngest son. "He was demanding but fair, and completely devoted to
improving the lives of others."
Though each speaker addressed a different aspect of Murray's
life, common themes, including his humility, curiosity and compassion,
transpired in all of the speeches.
"I always admired Joe for having the courage and capacity to
rise above the naysayers and those who challenged his ethics to accomplish what
he knew in his heart would improve the lives of so many," said Michael Zinner,
MD, chair of the Department of Surgery. "For Joe, it was always about the
people-the patients and their families-and offering them a better life. Despite
all of the attention and accolades, Joe remained a warm, humble, gentle and
spiritual man to the very end of his time on this earth."
More celebratory than solemn, the event was punctuated with
humor, reflections, photographs and music. Mark Anderson, of the BWH Department
of Medicine, sang a moving rendition of "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'," from
the musical "Oklahoma"-a tune that Murray was famous for belting out in the
shower, according to his son Rick.
"What a great song for my dad, an eternal optimist," he
said.
At the conclusion of the celebration, BWH President Betsy
Nabel, MD, read a proclamation signed by Mayor Thomas Menino, declaring Jan.
10, 2013, Dr. Joseph E. Murray Day in the City of Boston.
Read the proclamation and view a photo gallery from the
event at BWHPikeNotes.org.