Philip B. Murray (Phil), 75, of Fairport, N.Y., passed away after a long battle with cancer on Sept. 11, 2023, surrounded by his loving family and friends. He is survived by his wife, Wendy E. Wiedemer Murray; sister Lynn Johnson of Moorpark, CA; brother, Kevin Murray (Kim) of Sagle, ID; and brother, Christopher Murray (Denise) of Manlius. He was a devoted uncle to nieces, Erin Johnson, Carey, Shannon, Jena, Shea, Chelsea and Katie Murray and nephews, Kyle Murray and Michael Johnson. He was a loving stepfather to Timothy Miller of Cleveland Heights, OH, and Karen Song (Jeff), of Odenton, MD. Phil was a grandfather to Matthew and Michael Song as well as Gavin, Kyle and Paige Miller.
Philip graduated from Cazenovia High School in 1966, then received his Bachelors of Arts from Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in 1970 and his Master of Fine Arts from the University of Buffalo in 1972. Philip’s career began as an art teacher working in the Campbell-Savona Central School System in Savona, N.Y. However, he truly found his passion for educating college students, when he returned to RIT and Genesee Community College as a professor.
After meeting his wife Wendy, they embarked on a new adventure to Asheville, NC. While there, Phil was an associate professor at Mars Hill University for 18 years, retiring back to NYS in 2018 after 20 years in North Carolina.
Phil loved to create with his hands and produced many works of art, as well as multiple additions to his homes over the years. He loved giving back to others and frequently volunteered at his house of worship, Spiritus Christi Church. He was a dear friend to many and enjoyed hiking, camping, traveling and was a lover of good food and drink, especially Kentucky bourbon. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him!
Family and friends are welcome to attend a celebration of his life on Friday, Sept. 22, at 10 a.m. at Spiritus Christi Church, which is within the Downtown United Presbyterian Church, located at 121 Fitzhugh Street N, Rochester, NY 14614.
In lieu of flowers, please donate in his memory to the American Cancer Society.
