Passed away Tuesday, 11 August, 2015
One Sunday morning, a number of years ago, after the 9.30 Service, I was having coffee in the Minor Hall when I saw this Giant of a man who I had never seen before. I went up to him and introduced myself and he said he was George Murray. This immediately created a link as I had an uncle with the same name.
I have a number of Murray relatives but they are not from the same family tree. Funnily enough, many of them live in the Graaff Reinet area. George is from the well-known Andrew Murray clan and was always very proud of his heritage. In fact, he had intended giving us a talk on his Andrew Murray ancestors, and we were all looking forward to it. I know that he even took a special trip to Graaff Reinet to go and see the old N.G. Church there where Rev. Andrew Murray preached.
George was a remarkable man in so many ways. Not only was he an exceptional man with a tremendous reputation in the welding field, but he had a remarkable brain and could converse with confidence on an amazing variety of subjects, and he also had an extensive general knowledge. If you spent time with him, as I often did, you realised more and more that he was a real man among men.
George had a quiet way about him which made him admired and loved wherever he went, and he was always ready and willing to lend a hand whenever he could and nothing was too much trouble.
I remember, on one occasion, I needed something to be collected from Johannesburg and I knew that George was working in Joburg at that time. I called him and asked if he could pick it up for me on his was home and he immediately agreed. Later that evening he came and gave it to me with a big smile on his face. Only days later did I discover that he had NOT worked in Joburg that day, but had specially driven through from Pretoria to fetch it for me!!
Just like in Lloyd Douglas’ “Magnificent Obsession”, he never spoke about what he had done to help others. It was just between him and God.
Whenever we had a job to be done, George was the first to volunteer. On many occasions I would say that we needed to do something for the Men’s Fellowship Group and he would just look at me, smile and point to himself. He didn’t even need to say anything. He was just there. He was a real example of the expression “Service is Love in a Tangible Form”.
You did not need to know George very long or well to learn that he was a very deep thinker and had a real love of the Lord. He never preached his religion, he lived it, and he was always ready to discuss things of a spiritual nature. This was when the “Real George” came out. This was also when you realised that he was tremendously well read and had an exceptional brain. One of his favourite quotations was, “GOD TURNS YOU FROM ONE FEELING TO ANOTHER AND TEACHES BY MEANS OF OPPOSITES SO THAT YOU WILL HAVE TWO WINGS TO FLY, NOT JUST ONE.”
Because of his exceptional brain, it is so sad that it was this same brain which took him from us!
When George joined our Men’s Fellowship Group, he soon became one of the leading lights among us. He took a keen interest in organising things via our Committee and he and his family became a pivotal part in the Cooking Team. Because of his generous nature he bought a PA system for us to use to help those of us who have hearing problems. Sadly enough, after our breakfast last month, as I went out to my car, George, Soria, Charl and Monique were loading up his braai equipment and PA system as I walked past them. I said to them that they have become the mainstay of the Cooking Team, and he replied, “What will you do if we are not here one day?” I replied, “Then we will go and find you!” Little did I know exactly what that would mean at the time!
Over the years, George and I became very firm friends and I learned to love and respect him for all he stood for. When Soria came into his life we soon saw that they were made for each other, and each of them was tremendously good for the other. I know that Soria and ALL of his family will miss George tremendously. The Men’s Fellowship Group will certainly miss him as a friendly, willing, dependable and able colleague, and I will personally miss him as a dear and sincere friend. Someone who was always there for you and to whom you could turn at any time.
He was one of those men who will NEVER be forgotten.
To George we say, “Well done, good and faithful Servant…”
Ralph Webber