Retired Georgia State Professor Jim Murray Passes Away
Lindridge-Martin Manor is sad to note the April 4 passing of James C. Murray, Ph.D. He was 80 and a long-time resident at 2241 Melante Drive. He had been in declining health for many months and recently had a bad fall.
Dr. Murray’s family held a private memorial for him at St. Mary's Cemetery in Hanover Township, Pa. Due to public health concerns, a memorial mass to celebrate his life will be held later this year in Atlanta.
"Jim was a lovely man," said his neighbor, Meg Garrido. "He loved spending Sundays with his faith community of over 15 years at his local church. We will certainly miss him as our neighbor."
Jim was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., the son of the late Michael and Helen Christopher Murray. He graduated from St. Nicholas High School and earned his bachelor’s degree at King’s College, both in Wilkes-Barre. He then went on to receive both a graduate degree and doctorate from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.
Accepting a faculty position at Duke University in Durham, N.C., Jim became an assistant professor in the Spanish language department. He specialized in the Medieval and Golden Ages of Spanish literature, Spanish humanism, Spanish translation, and Spanish-American chronicles.
After his stint at Duke, Jim accepted a position as assistant professor in the Modern and Classical Languages Department at Georgia State. During his tenure here, he also traveled extensively throughout Europe, conducting research for the numerous books he collaborated on with colleagues.
He was the author or co-author of a number of published articles and textbooks, including Spanish Chronicles of the Indies: Sixteenth Century (1994); Lazarillo de Tormes (2002); and Anthology of Medieval Spanish Poetry (2010). Several are used in Spanish curricula across the United States.
Jim had a strong faith and was a devoted and active member of his parish, the Epiphany Of Our Lord Byzantine Catholic Church in Roswell. Survivors include his step nephew Robert Brown; cousin Janet Tumolo Weron; and Robert Tumolo, all of Pennsylvania. He also had cousins in West Port, County Mayo, Ireland.
Send condolences to the family via the E. Blake Collins Funeral Home in Wilkes-Barre.
