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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.