Dan Murrah passed away at the age of 97 Sunday, February 26, 2023, at Good Life Senior Living Center, in Snyder.
Dan was born on the family ranch West of Sanderson, to Rufe and Willie Deane Murrah. He was raised in Sanderson before shipping off to Europe to serve as an US Army infantryman with the 79th Infantry Division and the 1st Infantry Division during WWII. During his service he earned the Combat Infantryman Badge which he proudly wore front and centered on his always present white ball cap for the last 20 years of his life.
Dan returned to Texas after the war and married Kathryn Nance of Sanderson. They raised 3 daughters, Danell Murrah, Denise Murrah-Garcia, and Debbie Murrah before Kathryn’s passing in 1981. Dan spent his life as a rancher in Southwestern Texas and Northern Mexico before his retirement in the late 1990s. After his retirement, he reconnected with his high-school sweetheart Maurine Boykin at a class reunion. The couple married in 1994 and spent the remaining years together traveling the country by RV before settling down with family at the Rio Concho Manor in San Angelo.
Dan enjoyed spending time with his family and never met a stranger, making friends wherever he went. He was known to strike up a conversation with anyone whether it be in English or Spanish. He was a Master Mason and Shriner, and an active member of the Del Rio and Brackettville Masonic Lodges for over 60 years.
Dan was preceded in death by his wife Maurie Boykin; parents, Rufe and Willie Deane Murrah;, brothers, James “Buck” and Rufe “Bud” Murrah; sister, Ruth Roark; and daughter, Denise Murrah-Garcia, step-daughter, Kathryn “Kay” Ward.
He is survived by two daughters, Danell Murrah of San Antonio, and Debbie Murrah of Sherman; son-in-law, Jay Garcia of Marathon; stepdaughters, Patsy Baker of Katy and Virginia “Ginny” Rosen of Longview; four grandchildren, Lanny Dean McAden, Jr of Snyder, Amy Halvorson of San Antonio, Kathryn Myers of Sherman, and JP Myers of Amarillo; step-granddaughter, Cindy Deasy and husband Jim of Houston; and numerous great-grandchildren and nieces and nephews around the world.
Planning of a memorial service is underway but has not been finalized at this time. Dan had a big heart and actively gave to numerous charities over the years, but one constant for him was Saint Jude Children’s Research Hospital, so the family asks that in lieu of flowers that donations be made to the hospital by mail at ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or online at https://www.stjude.org.
Please sign the online register at www.robertmassie.com
