Obituary
Betty “June” Murray, 93, passed away peacefully at home in The Villages, Florida surrounded by her family on March 25th, 2024. She was born on December 15th, 1930 in West Frankfort, Illinois to Webb and Ruth Choate. She grew up in Taylorville, Illinois with her parents and her little sister, Myrna. She attended Taylorville High School and graduated in 1948. After
graduating high school, June attended Baptist Missionary Training School in Chicago and graduated with her Bachelor’s Degree in Ministry. During her college years she met the love of her life William Simpson Murray. They were married June 16th, 1956. Bill and June had two children, James Robert and Lesley Ann. They lived in Elk Grove Village, Illinois for 57 years. June worked as a Secretary for Union Carbide in Downtown Chicago for many years, and was also a secretary at two other small companies in Elk Grove Village. During her children’s youth she was a stay at home mom. When the kids were little she was involved in the PTA and the Ridge Elementary School Art Picture Program. June was an active member of her church Cumberland Baptist in Mount Prospect, Illinois. She sang in the church choir for many years. She enjoyed reading, cooking, needlework, and puzzles. She was greatly involved in her Grandchildren and Great-Grandchildren’s lives.
June will be remembered for her compassion to love and serve others. She valued everyone she met for their uniqueness and their God given gifts. Classical music was one of her favorite things, and she and Bill had season tickets to both the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Lyric Opera. She loved all of God’s creations including plants, animals, sunrises, sunsets, the moon and the stars. She was most fascinated by the night sky, stars and constellations. Bird watching brought her immense joy. She loved traveling and soaking in history in all areas of the world. She was a lover of art and her home was filled with many different unique pieces and she would make frequent visits to The Art Institute of Chicago. She will always be remembered as a wonderful hostess to all who visited, friends, family and strangers. She shined God’s light in her day to day life. If you ask her children they would tell you she was the best mother, and grandmother. She wrote in her notes, “I would like people to remember me as a Christian woman who cared for others.” and if you had the pleasure of knowing her, you would know this stands true about her.
June is survived by her son James Robert Murray of Elgin, Illinois her daughter Lesley Ann (Douglas) Lee of The Villages, Florida her granddaughter Chandler Grace (Aaron) Hilborn of Silverwood, Michigan her grandson Noah Clayton (Charli) Lee of Grand Rapids, Michigan, her granddaughter Makenna Ruth (Richard) Russell of Novi, Michigan her Great-grandchildren Nathan Alexander Hilborn, Tessa Renae Hilborn, Logan James Hilborn, Lucas Cade Hilborn, Owen Isaiah Hilborn, Benjamin Levi Hilborn all of Silverwood, Michigan and her sister Myrna (Toby) Bates, her niece Jeanette Ruth (Tim) Lewis and nephew Randall Webb Mims all of Odessa, Texas.
She is preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, William Simpson Murray of Elk Grove Village, Illinois, her parents Webb and Ruth Choate of Carlsbad, New Mexico and her nephew Bobby Leon Mims of Austin, Texas.
There will be a small family celebration of life this summer to honor Betty June.
Memorial gifts can be made in her honor to her new church home:
First Baptist Orlando
3000 S John Young Parkway
Orlando, FL 32805
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