It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Pam Murray on September 7, 2024. Pamela Kay Acord was born on February 1, 1953, at a Naval Base just outside of Memphis, Tennessee to Margaret May Lane Acord (“Peggy”) and Clyde Allen Acord (“Gil”). She had one sibling, her older sister, Carolyn Jean Acord Boyer (“Bunny”). Her father was in the Navy and he retired when Pam was in fourth grade. The family settled in Adelphi, MD, where her mother’s family lived. Before then, Pam lived the Navy life in Lakehurst, New Jersey; Pensacola, Florida; and San Diego, California. Pam started working at age 16 to save money for her first car, a metallic blue 1967 Ford Mustang. Pam graduated from High Point High School (Prince George’s County, Maryland) in 1971. Then she ventured across the Potomac, where she took a job as a legal secretary with the law firm of Siciliano, Daly, Ellis, Sheridan & Dyer in Rosslyn (Tony Siciliano and Paul Sheridan both WGCC members). There she met her good friend of 50 years, Annette Kincaid. Pam next took a job with the Arlington County Commissioner of Accounts (similar to a Probate Judge in all other states), Al Handy, as an auditor. Al was like a father to her, Pam’s father having died of a heart attack when Pam was a teenager. There, Pam met William G. Murray, Jr., an Arlington attorney. They started dating, bought a house together next to Bluemont Park in Arlington in 1981 (mortgage rate was 16.3%) and eloped to Richmond on January 15, 1983. Pam and Bill were married by one of Bill’s college football teammates and fraternity brothers, in his Methodist Church, as the snow came down outside. Al Handy retired in 1988, and Bill became the Arlington Commissioner of Accounts. Pam continued to work for Bill, as did her best childhood friend, Robin Moss. Pam gave birth to a son, Mark Gordon Acord Murray, in January of 1989. She continued to work a few hours a day after that, but then fully retired in 1990. Mark blessed her with a great wife, Kaitlin, and two special grandchildren: Parker, age 7, and Aubrey, age 4. Pam and Bill joined Washington Golf & Country Club in 1987. Although Pam as a teenager spent her spare time working part-time jobs, dating boys, and cruising in her Mustang, she was a very good athlete. Bill got her involved playing tennis and racquetball. In 1986, Pam won the Virginia State Racquetball Championship at the Women’s top amateur level. Then Pam got very interested in golf. Pam always said that the best golf tip that Bill ever gave her was to not listen to him, but to get lessons from a pro. Golf became her passion. She quickly became the WGCC Ninettes Champion (1991). She moved to the WGCC 18-hole group and saw continued success: she was Women’s Club Champion in 1998, 2014 and 2016, and Women’s Senior Club Champion six times. She also served as WGCC First Lady in 1998. Pam’s greatest golf accomplishment, besides her four holes-in-one (four more than her husband), was winning the Women’s District of Columbia Golf Association Championship in 2013. This tournament was open to women golfers from all of the twenty-nine local country clubs. Pam had a good qualifying round and made it into the championship bracket (8 people). From there, it was three rounds of match play: gross, no strokes, and Pam’s 8-handicap was the highest in the bracket (10 strokes higher than the handicap of the lowest woman in the championship bracket). Nonetheless, Pam played three rounds of wonderful golf and won it all! She really loved match play! Pam loved her life and loved her friends. She really enjoyed the Fifth-Grade Court Tour program, which she ran for ten-plus years. This was where she would bring a fifth-grade class to the courthouse to see a trial and to visit the jail. She also enjoyed assisting Culpepper Gardens residents with shopping trips and doctors appointments (she started this when Bill’s mother passed away “to fill a hole in her heart”). Pam made friends very easily. She had numerous “golfing buddies,” with Lynn Fuechsel #1 on her list. She was extremely loyal to each of her friends, and was there when needed. Those of you who have ever played golf with Pam will remember that, if anyone in the foursome birdied a hole, Pam would hand out a piece of Dove chocolate to everyone in the foursome. A private family burial will be held at Columbia Gardens Cemetery and a Celebration of Life will be held at a date to be determined. Memorial contributions may be made to the Pamela A. Murray Fund at Arlington Community Foundation, 4601 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 1015, Arlington, Virginia 22203, a fund dedicated to the support of girls’ golf. |
