Carol (Starbuck) McMurray

Carol McMurray, age 94, passed away on Thursday, November 6, 2008, at her residence. Carol was born in Racine on July 10, 1914, daughter of the late Frank Raymond and Grace (Nee: Bassindale) Starbuck and was a resident of Racine for the majority of her life.

As granddaughter of the founder of the Racine Journal Times, and daughter of its longest serving publisher, Carol took great pride in her family’s place in Racine’s history. She was a longtime member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and a devoted participant in the Junior League of Racine.

Carol attended Winslow Elementary, Franklin Junior High School, Racine High School, and Washington Park High School. Furthering her education she attended Ward-Belmont College for two years and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she became a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority.

On July 29, 1939, she was united in marriage to J. Donald McMurray, who preceded her in death on May 29, 1969. Throughout her entire adult life, Carol found immense pleasure in her home and family, and the company of close, lifelong friends. She was a creative and skilled seamstress, knitter, and needleworker. Her home was an attractively personal and comfortable expression of her broad artistic interests.

Carol and her husband, known as Mac to his friends, participated in a wide variety of social and civic activities together in Racine. They also enjoyed summer vacations in northern Wisconsin, winter trips to Arizona, and they traveled abroad several times.

After Mac’s death, Carol continued to spend winters in Arizona, and often visited her daughters and grandchildren in California. She loved sharing their important events and milestones. She filled a treasured place in our lives and we will miss her greatly.

Survivors include her two daughters, Martha Johnstone McMurray Cant of Freestone, CA, and Ann Starbuck McMurray Shaw of Mill Valley, CA; her five grandchildren, Patrick McMurray Cant of Alameda, CA, Sarah Elizabeth Cant of England, Brian Romeyn Shaw of Sacramento, CA, Robert Starbuck Shaw of San Francisco, CA, and Andrew Wallington Shaw of San Francisco, CA; her favorite niece, Susan McMurray Dorsey of Woodside, CA; other nieces, nephews, relatives and many dear friends. In addition to her parents and husband she was preceded in death by her brother, Allan Washburn Starbuck.

Friends are invited to join in a celebration of Carol’s life at the funeral home on Saturday, November 22, 2008, from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. Private interment will be held.

The family wishes to extend their sincere gratitude to her caregivers: Yolanda Franco, Linda Holbrook, Nannette LaPoint, Kim Stier and Janet Wente; her helpful neighbor, Bob Johnson; Celeste McKloskey, and dear family friends, Francie McGuire Winkler and family, for their loving and compassionate care.

MARESH-MEREDITH & ACKLAM FUNERAL HOME
803 Main St., Racine (262) 634-7888