Peacefully at St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Guelph on Thursday, August 1, 2024, Edward Donald Murray passed away at the age of 88. Don was the loving husband and best friend of Eileen (McKee) for 66 years. Loving father of Krista (Mike) and Karen (Joe). Proud Grandpa of Jessica (Stuart), Joey and Rylan and Great-Grandpa of Colton.
Don was born on June 23, 1936, to Mary (Michasiw) and Glen Murray in Minnedosa, Manitoba. As an only child, his cousins played an important role in his younger years, friendships that remained throughout his life. His aunt and uncle were instrumental in providing Don the opportunity to continue his education after high school. He was always very grateful for their support.
In 1962, Don graduated from the University of Manitoba with a MSc. He continued his education while living and working in London, Ontario. Don received his PhD in Biochemistry from Western University in 1970. This set the foundation for a career in food microbiology, an area which he thoroughly enjoyed and resulted in many life-long friendships. Over the years, Don worked in research and development and taught food science at the university level. He was active in many national and international scientific associations giving him the opportunity to travel extensively. Throughout his career, he was involved in the production of numerous publications and patents. In 1994, Don moved to Guelph to establish the Guelph Food Technology Centre, a research laboratory and food product testing facility, of which he was very proud.
Retiring in 1997 allowed Don time to pursue other interests which included reading his history books (usually with a dog or three at his feet), traveling with Eileen and spending time with his family. He continued to enjoy consulting for food development companies as well as lecturing as an adjunct professor in the Food Science department at the University of Guelph. A voracious reader and always curious, Don would often share tidbits of information he had discovered with his family, usually starting the sentence with “here’s your piece of useless information for the day.”
The family would like to thank the staff at St. Joseph’s Health Centre who cared for Don with kindness and compassion. In keeping with Don’s wishes, no funeral service will take place. A private interment will be held at a later date. If wished, donations may be made to the St. Joseph’s Health Centre Foundation Guelph or a charity of your choice.