- MURRAY, George Malcolm 'Mac'
Of Dartmouth, passed away peacefully on April 11, 2014, in Orchard Court Shannex, Kentville. Born in Hantsport, he was a son of the late Alexander and Odessa (Frizzel) Murray and was predeceased by his high school sweetheart and wife of 63 years, Shirley Lois (Wyman) Murray. Mac graduated from the Maritime Business College in 1941 and immediately joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), receiving his pilot wings in 1942 . Following service in the RCAF, where he served both as flying instructor in Canada and as a fighter pilot in Great Britain, he returned to Halifax in 1945 and immediately joined the public accounting firm of Nightingale Hayman as an articling Chartered Accountant (CA) student, receiving his CA designation in 1950 at the top of his class. In 1951, Mac opened a branch of Nightingale Hayman on Commercial Street in Dartmouth as its sole employee. Through a series of regional and national mergers and several physical moves within Dartmouth, he eventually landed at the Royal Bank Building on Portland Street. He became partner, office managing partner, and eventually Senior Partner of the Dartmouth Office of Canada’s largest public accounting firm, Thorne Ridell, now KPMG. He retired from public practice in 1988. He enjoyed being a chartered accountant and within the profession, Mac has served on various Committees of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nova Scotia and was an elected member of the Institute Council for 10 years, culminating with his term as President in 1960/61. He also served as Nova Scotia representative on several Committees of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants. In 1978, Mac was awarded the designation Fellow Chartered Accountant, or FCA, by his peers in recognition of his outstanding contribution to his profession and his community. His greatest enjoyment and achievement was personally training and nurturing his CA students into mature, competent CAs. Mac joined the Dartmouth Chamber of Commerce upon his arrival in Dartmouth in 1951, and chaired various Committees and fulfilled a term as Treasurer. As an active member of St. James United Church, he served on both the Board of Stewards and the Session, as Church Advisor, and was Treasurer of the Church Hall Building Fund and served as Chair of Board of Trustees. He was a member of the church for over 55 years. Mac joined the Kiwanis Club of Dartmouth in 1951, and again chaired various committees and served as President in 1968. He enjoyed helping out with many of Kiwanis’ annual community fundraising events. In addition, he participated in many charitable organization fundraising drives, including having been Treasurer of the Dartmouth YM-YWCA Building Fund Campaign, Dartmouth Chairman of the United Appeal, and member of the United Appeal Advisory Board. He was Treasurer and Member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors of Pine Hill Divinity College and was a member of the Development Committee of the Atlantic School of Theology. He was also a member and treasurer of the Banook Canoe Club, and the treasurer of the Maritime Riding School during his children’s ventures into these clubs. For many years, he was an active member of both the Brightwood Golf & Country Club and the Dartmouth Curling Club and was also known as an ardent salmon fisherman and the Family Photographer. Mac was also predeceased by his brothers, Robert and John, and by his grandson, Scott Murray. Mac’s concern for family, clients, and community was demonstrated not only by his professionalism, but also by his constantly positive attitude, and also by the respect he showed to all those with whom he came in contact. He was a gentleman in the truest sense of the word, and in turn had won the respect of all who knew him. In later years, he lived with Alzheimer’s and touched many caregivers with his easy smile and gracious nature.
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1923 - 2014 (90 years)
