Cecil Cawood Murray

Cecil Cawood Murray went gently into that good night on August 4, 2025 at age 82 battling Parkinson’s disease for four years.

He was born in Washington, D.C. to Sol and Mary Ellen Murray. Soon after the family moved to Virgilina, Virginia where he lived until he left to attend college at the VPI branch in Danville. There he met his future wife, Jane Barrett. After dating for four and a half years, when both had finished college, the couple married on August 5, 1967.

As a young man he was a member of the Army Reserve. His working life included being an insurance adjuster, a real estate broker, and a rural mail carrier.

Cecil was a member of First Baptist Church where he was a deacon. In his younger years he was very active in the community and the Democrat Party. In 1975 he was a candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates. As a Master Gardner he taught classes for new members and wrote a column for the Register. Jane and Cecil loved to travel, especially by cruise ship. They did 39 cruises: 13 were transatlantic. Cecil was a member of the Danville Golf Club and the German Club.

Preceding him in death were parents, his brother Glen, his sister Mildred Torian, Jane’s parents, Blanche and Mason Barrett, and his brother-in-law Richard Barrett.

He leaves his wife Jane, brother Garland of Richmond, brother-in-law Sam Torian of Virgilina, sister-in-law Linda Batman (Norman) of Fishersville, sister-in-law Barbara Sundstrom (Rod) of Banner Elk, NC, and 12 nieces and nephews and their children.

The service honoring his life will be held on August 11, 2025 2:00 PM at First Baptist Church with Reverend Joe Northen and Reverend Ryan Busby officiating. A visitation will be held at 1:00 PM in the church’s Heritage Room. A private burial will follow the service.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History or The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, Grand Central Station, PO Box 4777, NY 10163.