'He always had Fox Lake in his heart.' Longtime trustee dies at 61
Fox Lake Trustee Greg Murrey was remembered Thursday as a loyal friend, gifted public servant, an excellent Santa Claus and a devoted Chicago Bears fan.
Murrey, a village trustee for 20 years and retired 30-year member of the Fox Lake fire department, died Tuesday, at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville. He was 61.
"Not only was Greg a colleague, he was a good friend," Fox Lake Mayor Donny Schmit said Thursday morning. "He always had Fox Lake in his heart. There was no other place he wanted to be. Everything he did was to make the village better." Murrey, a lifelong resident of Fox Lake, was a 1975 graduate of Grant High School and the "doctor of motors" for the Grant Township Highway Commission for over 39 years.
He also served 30 years with the Fox Lake Volunteer Fire Department, retiring in 2007 as chief engineer, said Fox Lake Fire Protection District Chief Rob Hoehne.
Hoehne, who served with Murrey his entire time at the fire department, said he will "definitely be missed."
"Even after he retired from the fire district in 2007, he assisted us whenever he could," Hoehne said. "Just last year, he assisted our current engineer with the purchase of two new fire trucks. He was a big part of the design of the new vehicles, and we were always appreciative of his support."
Murrey, once a co-owner of Price Services with his brother, Dave, was the senior trustee for Fox Lake, Village Administrator Anne Marrin said.
Murrey was first appointed to the board in 1994 and served until 1995. He won election to a seat in 1997, serving until 2001. Murrey ran for the board again in 2003, and remained a trustee until his death.
He was considered an expert of the village's Northwest Regional Water Reclamation Facility, and served most of his years on the village board as the head of the village's sewer and water committee.
"He was one of a kind," Schmit said. "We would get together every Saturday and Sunday for breakfast and have some of the most enthusiastic discussions. He had a real passion for Fox Lake."
A season-ticket holder for the Bears, Murrey also served as a past board member with the Grant Township Republican Party, was a member of the National Association of Railcar Operators Association (NARCOA), the National Rifle Association and the sons of the American Legion Post 703.
But Murrey was perhaps best known by the public for serving as Santa Claus during the Fox Lake Chamber of Commerce's annual Christmas party.
Survivors include his soulmate, Mary Ellen Johnson; son, Jimmy Soutar; and his siblings, Kathleen (John) Pletz and Patrick (Ginny) Murrey.
Visitation will take place from 2 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Hamsher Lakeside Funerals and Cremations, 12 N. Pistakee Lake Road, Fox Lake. The funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Burial will follow in Grant Cemetery in Fox Lake.
In lieu of flowers, memorials in Murrey's name are welcomed at Little City, 1760 W. Algonquin Road, Palatine, IL 60067, www.LittleCity.org, (847) 221-7810; or Operation North Pole, 50 W. Oakton St., Des Plaines, IL 60018, www.OperationNorthPole.org, (847) 813-5387.