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MURRAY, CLARABELLE TERPENNING Clarabelle Terpenning Murray passed away peacefully in her sleep on December 28th. Born on September 25, 1927, she was one of four children of Linus Terpenning and Clara Hunter. Her father built Navy Patrol Boats for World War II, including the PT-109 commanded by John F. Kennedy. She met her husband Michael Murray in Rhinebeck High School, New York. During a school dance one of his friends, Stickels, bet him $0.25 on a dare to dance with the new girl in school from "New York City." Clara worked as the secretary to the Bayonne Navy Shipyard's Commandant after high school in the 1940s. She married Mike in Rhinebeck, NY in 1945. She traveled the world with him during his 23 years of active duty in the Navy, the Army Air Corps, and the Air Force. They moved to New Mexico with their four children in 1966 after Mike's military retirement, and they built the 75th house in Rio Rancho. She and Mike also lived in Bernalillo, Albuquerque, El Rancho and Los Alamos. Clara was a daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She served as a Cub Scout Den Mother, Brownie and Girl Scout Leader, Church Organist (in more than 5 churches), and President of the Ladies Auxiliary for the Rio Rancho Volunteer Fire Department (1960s). She was an avid camper, gardener, pet owner, square dancer and round dancer. She was active in the United Methodist Church wherever she lived. Clara helped with numerous church youth group and school activities as well as other projects in her communities. Clara became a key punch operator/medical coder in the 1970s for the Social Security Commission and retired after more than 15 years. She always owned personal computers, starting with a Commodore and ending with a wireless tablet that she used to keep up with her great-grandkid's pictures on FaceBook. Whether she was known as Mom, Grandma, Mrs. Murray, or Clara, she touched the lives of all of her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and all of their friends. She passed on her love of reading, learning, sewing, traveling, camping, and music, as well as enjoying life to its fullest. Clarabelle is survived by her sister-in-law Annan and husband Gordon (Ike) Allen; brother-in-law Jonathan & wife Esther Murray; children Matthew M. Murray, Cecelia M. Rosales and husband Oscar, Diane M. Lightwood and husband George, Stephen A. Murray and wife Marti; and daughter-in-law Barbara McAllister; grandchildren/great-grandchildren include Anna Noriega; Mica M. Murray and son Jeremiah; Thomas E. Fuller, wife Sarah and children Simon, Felicity, and Alexander; Jean Vignato, husband Gabriel Jr. and children Gwendolyn, Gabriel III, and Gaetano; and numerous nieces and nephews. Clara's husband Mike passed away in February of 2009. Her sister-in-law Brita Murray passed away on December 25, 2014. The family would also like to acknowledge her caregiver of more than nine years, Christine Saiz, who was like a member of the family. Services for Clara will be held at Central United Methodist Church, 201 University Ave. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106 on January 24 at 10:30 a.m. Interment will be in Santa Fe National Cemetery next to Mike on January 26 at 10:30 a.m. Clara's family asks that you wear bright, cheerful colors if you attend her services, as this will be a celebration of her incredible life. Instead of flowers, please consider a donation to her church's homeless re-homing project, one of her favorite charities. Checks may be made out to Central United Methodist Church at the address above and marked "SARANAM" in Honor of Clarabelle Murray. Questions may be directed to Cecelia at cwatercanyon@gmail.com. Memories of Clara or greetings to the family may be left at: www.watercanyon.net/clara-murray
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