Helen Murray Obituary

Murray
Helen Kimbell
Murray
December 19, 1927
February 4, 2024

Helen was born in Oklahoma City and grew up in small towns around the state, the daughter of a college professor (Fontella Thompson Kimbell) and a grocery manager (Albert James Kimbell). A mischievous child, Helen entertained her family with stories of her neighborhood exploits during the Depression, and the freedom she experienced growing up in simpler times.
She met her husband Clive E. Murray, Jr. when they both attended Oklahoma State University, and was excited to spend her life with someone who chose the Army as a profession. She was thrilled with the notion of traveling the world together.
And this they did, with their four children in tow : Jon S. Murray (wife Jennifer Dossett, of Boulder), James K. Murray (wife Paulette, of Fort Collins), Alison Murray Kuller (of Santa Fe NM), and Clive E. Murray III (aka Tad, of Colorado Springs).
These early years of frequent moves exposed them to a variety of lifestyles, languages, and local customs that Helen thrived on, and which generated a family atmosphere of curiosity, tolerance, and appreciation of history. From Civil War battlefields to Bavarian castles, the family explored together, frequently camping out of their station wagon in National Parks along the way.
When they moved to Colorado Springs Helen taught in the Cheyenne Mountain School District and then ran a nursery school in her home for several years. Having been a "fidgety" child herself, she was keenly sympathetic to young people who didn't easily adapt to the structure of a traditional classroom. Always open to new ways of learning, Helen pioneered a curriculum called "Pre-first", providing an extra year for children who'd been through Kindergarten but weren't quite ready to start first grade. She taught these students in a classroom at Canon Elementary School for nearly twenty years.
When they retired Helen and Clive continued their interests in skiing, gardening and taking part in the life of the churches they joined. Always avid travelers, they soon added visits to their grandchildren around the country, and stayed in close touch with family and Army friends from their early years in post-war Germany.
Helen was known for her hospitality and kindness. Always eager to meet new people and hear their stories, she was a valued member of the PEO Chapter (Philanthropic Education Organization) in Cheyenne Canyon, a Pi Beta Phi, and a respected member of Grace St Stephen' Episcopal Church in Colorado Springs.
She is predeceased by her husband, Clive E. Murray, Jr., and her sister Jane Kimbell Merck, of Pawley's Island SC. Her brother James Kimbell, Jr. lives in Clemson NC.
Memorial services will be held at Grace St. Stevens Episcopal Church the morning of Saturday April 20. If you wish to make a gift in her honor, please do so to the Church. No flowers please.
Condolences can be addressed to her daughter, Alison Kuller, at 719 Gildersleeve St., Santa Fe NM.