Patricia Mae Murray died peacefully at home on March 1, 2026. She was born March 19, 1931, in Lansing, Michigan to Leo and Mary "Mae" (Kelly) Pohl, the third child of four. "Patsy" grew up in Lansing, graduating there from St. Mary's High School and St. Lawrence Hospital Nursing School.

She first met Robert Francis Murray, the love of her life, in high school, and he often asked her to dance at school dances. Several years after high school, they met again in Fort Lauderdale on New Year's Day of 1953, when she came down to celebrate Nursing School graduation and take her first nursing job and he was "bumming around." He popped the question during the four months they spent there. They were married on August 22, 1953, in Lansing.

Pat worked full-time as a Registered Nurse through Bob's belated college years at Michigan State University, while they simultaneously created a family of four children (Karen, Linda, Mike and Janet) and a dog (Spunky) in Lansing.  She was the primary wage earner during his college years, until he graduated and obtained a job with Boeing in Seattle as an Electrical Engineer.  They traveled across the country with $200 and a new car, arriving with nary a dime for a phone call to his sister and brother-in-law.  A fifth child (Dan) was born in Seattle and in October 1961 they moved to Santa Maria, California, followed by a move to Huntsville, Alabama in early 1963.  In November 1964, they moved to a new home in Newport News, Virginia where Bob worked at NASA Langley Research Center and they finished raising their five children and another dog (Smokey).  When the kids were largely grown, Pat engaged in a nursing refresher course and worked for several years as an Operating Room nurse.

Pat and Bob spent the last four years of his career near Washington, D.C., where he served as NASA Program Manager of the Galileo program to Jupiter and the Ulysses program to the Sun. Each of those probes was launched on the Space Shuttle, in 1989 and 1990 respectively, and they shared those events with members of the family.

Always independent in her approach to life, Pat was not scared to figure out how to fix a broken lamp or whatever it might be in her home.  She sewed her own curtains and dresses for the girls, and re-upholstered numerous couches and chairs.  At one point she tackled a completely different job by training as a tax specialist with H&R Block.  She always encouraged her children to pursue their own path in life and provided the example of a woman who could do everything she wanted.

Pat and Bob were both avid tennis players and taught all their kids to play. A strong player in her own right, Pat dominated the singles ladder for years at the Glendale neighborhood courts and often played tournaments at the beloved Hilton Tennis Club in Newport News.

In 1986, fulfilling a life-long dream for Pat, they built a cottage near Corolla on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Pat and Bob thoroughly enjoyed retirement at the beach, hosting family and friends many times over the years while maintaining a residence in Newport News. Pat was the consummate hostess, filling the cottage with love and good food for everyone to enjoy. Their grandchildren have wonderful memories of vacations at the beach with Grandma Pat and Grandpa Bob.

Pat was a loving and loyal friend to many. Worth a special note are the "Bridge Club" ladies, Pat's close friends since the early days in Newport News.  While they haven't done much card-playing in recent years, they have continued to get together and support each other through thick and thin for nearly sixty years.

She was predeceased by her beloved husband Bob, her parents, brothers Joe, Bobby and 1-month-old Jack; her grandson Jeffery Waldfogel and son-in-law Glen Smith. She will remain in the hearts of her sons and daughters and their families: Karen Waldfogel, Linda Slagle and husband Peter, Mike, Janet Smith, Dan and wife Mary, eleven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, and friends.

A funeral mass will be held Friday, March 6th at 1:00pm at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church in Newport News, with reception following at the church.

Memorials may be made to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, at https://www.olmc.org/give or 100 Harpersville Road, Newport News, VA 23601.