Paid Notice: Henry Lohmann Murray died peacefully at his home in East Hampton, NY on Monday, May 26. He was 94.
Born in Kew Gardens, NY on January 19, 1931 to Arthur M. and Eunice L. Murray, Henry grew up in New York City and Lawrence, NY with his brothers Arthur and Morgan and sisters Janet and Margaret. He attended Our Lady Queen of Martyrs School (Forest Hills, NY), Loyola School (New York, NY), and Yale University followed by Columbia University School of Business. He served as a 1st Lieutenant in the US Air Force during the Korean War.
His first marriage was to Dionne Ryan with whom he had four children (Henry Jr., Margaret, John, and Catherine). He married his wife of 63 years Martha Sykes on September 28, 1962, and they had two children (Dorothy and Stuart). Henry and Martha lived in New York City and East Hampton, NY. In New York, Henry was a Sales Executive for The Continental Group for many years, Executive Vice President of the Partnership for New York City, and Vice President of the Reynolds Organization. In 1993, Henry retired, and he and Martha moved full time to their home in East Hampton.
Deeply committed to civic engagement and to the communities in which he lived, Henry was a former Trustee and Vice Chairman of the Healthcare Chaplaincy of New York, Board Member and Treasurer of the East Hampton Library serving on the Capital Campaign Committee, and Trustee and Chairman of the Village Preservation Society of East Hampton. In 1997, a survey conducted by the Village Preservation Society identified the lack of available, quality healthcare in East Hampton Town as one of the most serious issues facing the community. Henry was one of the original founders of the East Hampton Healthcare Foundation established in 1998 with the mission of “improving the quality and availability of healthcare for all citizens of the Town of East Hampton, including the uninsured and underinsured, with one standard of care for all.” He served as the Foundation’s Chairman from 2002 to 2023 and was instrumental in the establishment of the East Hampton Healthcare Center, the Urgent Care Center and the East Hampton Satellite Emergency Department. Henry was also active in local clubs as a former member of the Racquet & Tennis Club and the Union Club of New York City, and a member and former President of the Maidstone Club in East Hampton.
Henry was an avid student of American history and politics, a voracious reader of both prose and poetry, and a world traveler visiting 49 states, 34 national parks, all seven continents, and 51 countries from the Arctic Circle to the Great Wall of China. He especially loved Rome and returned on several occasions including a trip with the Gregorian Society where he had an audience with Pope John Paul II. He was an enthusiastic competitor - tennis, paddle tennis, squash, golf and bridge. But above all, he loved to swim in the ocean which he continued to do as recently as last summer.
Henry was exceptionally devoted to his immediate and extended family, speaking regularly with his children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins. He frequently reminded us that “character, faith and family are everything” and his life was guided by this tenet. Henry is survived by his wife Martha, six children and their spouses Hank (Elizabeth), Margaret (David), John (Jacque), Cathy (Jane), Dorothy (George), and Stuart (Rebecca), fourteen grandchildren, and twelve great grandchildren.
Visiting hours will be held on Thursday, June 5 from 5:00 -7:00 PM at Yardley & Pino Funeral Home, 94 Pantigo Road, East Hampton, NY. A memorial service will be held on Friday, June 6 at 11:00 AM, Most Holy Trinity Church, 57 Buell Lane, East Hampton, NY.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the East Hampton Healthcare Foundation: www.easthamptonhealthcare.org
