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A self-published Bay of Plenty author and woodturning enthusiast described as a “man of many talents” has died following a long battle with cancer.
Ronald Murray, 67, passed away from metastatic melanoma cancer on October 25 last year, but not before he got to hold fresh copies of his new novel in his hands.
“This is sometimes real end-of-life stuff, from where I’m standing. It is really hard mentally to cope with this,” he said.
“I can still write ... It’s something to get up every morning and think about. I love it, and I will carry on and find more time throughout the days to write.”
One of Ron Murray's last photos at the beach, photographing shells for his novel About Those Shells. Photo / James Smith
Murray held the book in his hands and died peacefully three days later.
His wife Jill said he was “visibly and physically relieved” when the books arrived due to his quick decline in health. His memory was failing, but even then, a pen and pad were kept by the bed so he could write down anything he’d remember at night.
“The written word is something he really loved – it was only [in] the last two weeks when he stopped doing all the crosswords and things ... The shell book was the only thing that kept him going, and when they arrived, his health declined.”
Jill and Murray first met in 1978 and were together for over 40 years. They met over their backyard fences in Auckland when they were flatting as 20-year-olds, she said between laughter.
Even though he’s gone now, she said they had many good years together filled with lots of travel, humour, and love for their two sons.
Ron Murray and his wife Jill. Photo / Ron Murray
He wasn’t a “standard issue” type of person, but rather a “multi-faceted, sharp-minded, and quirky” individual: so quirky that he was that younger kid saving all his pocket money to buy an encyclopaedia instead of a soccer ball.
A former colleague and friend of Murray’s, James Smith, said he first met him about five years ago while working in public relations, but it was during his last living month that he got to know Murray better.
Smith helped Murray photograph the shells for his book – something he was “very particular about”, too – and said, “Ron was determined not to let cancer overshadow his joy in life.”
“I got to know him a lot better and to help him fulfill his dream, because the book is [the result of] quite a lot of inspiration about the shells he’s collected over the years ... He was determined to get it published because he knew he was running out of time.”
His favourite memory with him would be “one of the last”: when Murray called him when the books arrived, wanting Smith there so they could open the package together.
“It made me feel privileged and humbled. When we opened it, you could honestly see the joy and relief on him as he flicked through the pages.
Jill said her favourite things about her husband were that he was a man of many talents, and his generosity and willingness to give time to people.
He loved woodturning and surfing, also ensuring that when he passed, his loved ones had items to remember him by.
He wrote notes and poems for people and put them into rubber bands around his newly received books along with bowls he made, which Jill has been delivering on his behalf.
Murray had expressed before he passed away that he wanted a gathering at a later date and not a funeral. His wish has been fulfilled, and his family and friends will gather on March 1 in Pāpāmoa to celebrate his life.
If anyone wants to buy his final novel About Those Shells, it’s available on Amazon.com.
The front cover of About Those Shells by Ron Murray.
Malisha Kumar is a multimedia journalist based in Hamilton. She joined the Waikato Herald in 2023 after working for Radio 1XX in Whakatāne.
