Barbara Murray
Barbara Jane Murray (nee Bentel), 80, beloved wife of the late Myles N. Murray; loving mother of Susan L Thomas, Wendy Murray, Carol (Timothy) Harrison, Nancy (Mark) Servis, Christopher (Alicia) Murray; dearest grandmother to Michael, Beth, Nathanael, Benjamin, Jonathan, Kelly (deceased), James, Kate, Anna, Ryan, Kyle, Liam and Emerson; sister of Susan Bienaisz (deceased). A long-time resident of Chagrin Falls, Ohio but more recently of Fort Myers, she passed away peacefully on May 26 after a prolonged battle with multiple illnesses.
She was born Sept. 5, 1928 in Freedom, Pa., daughter of Charles A. and Pearl Bucklen Bentel. She attended Shaler High School in Glenshaw, Pennsylvania and later Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. There she met and married Myles N. Murray, later founder and president of Industrial Electronic Rubber Company, formerly of Twinsburg, Ohio. She and her family lived for 25 years in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.
In 1990, she and her husband retired to Sanibel Island, where together they established the Sagebrush Gallery, dedicated to supporting and advancing authentic Native American art and artists. Subsequent to her husband’s death, she retired in Fort Myers. In her later years, she was known for her love of composing lyrical verse, through which she composed newsletters, family memories and personal memoirs.
A memorial service for Barbara will be held on June 27 at 11 a.m. at the Sanibel Congregational United Church of Christ, located at 2050 Periwinkle Way. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Barbara’s memory to Hope Hospice at Shell Point, c/o the Legacy Foundation at Shell Point, 15010 Shell Point Blvd., Fort Myers, FL 33908. Condolences may be viewed and offered at www.harvey-engelhardt-metz.com.