John Murray Long Time Saddle River Council Member and Founding Member of Knights of Columbus Council Dies at 91

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Saddle River NJ, John Murray, 91, of Saddle River, died on Monday, August 1, 2022. A devoted husband to Barbara, a loving father to Mark and Barbara Lee, and an adored uncle to many nieces and nephews…

John, after graduating with a Ph.D. from Fordham University and proudly serving his country during the Korean Conflict, settled to raise his family in Saddle River, NJ, where he joined St. Gabriel’s Parish.

A long and distinguished career at American Cyanamid/Pfizer ended in retirement, while his entrepreneurial pursuits continued at Dorado, Inc until his passing.

John was appointed to the Saddle River Town Council in 1990 and served through 2012, making him one of the longest-serving council members and earning him a spot in the Elected Officials Hall of Fame. He was a founding member of the Knights of Columbus Council, 11889 at St. Gabriel’s Church. A 4th Degree Knight, he served two terms as Grand Knight and was heavily involved with membership/recruitment and all charitable efforts. He and his son Mark, also a 4th Degree Knight and Grand Knight, spearheaded many projects, including preparing care packages for our troops in Afghanistan. John and Barbara were members emeritus at the Ridgewood Country Club, having joined in 1968. A family man, a churchgoing/god-fearing man, a man who spent his life serving God, family, country, and community, John was also a tough and stubborn, proud Irishman! His unique smile, bushy eyebrows, friendly greetings, kindness, and storytelling ability will not be soon replicated.

Survived by many nieces and nephews, John was predeceased by his wife Barbara in February, his son Mark in 2021, and his daughter Barbara Lee in 2017.

The family will receive friends from 3 to 6 pm on Sunday at the Vander Plaat Funeral Home. www.vpfh.com, 257 Godwin Ave. Wyckoff, NJ. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00am on Monday at St. Gabriel’s church, 88 East Saddle River Road, Saddle River, NJ 07458. Entombment will follow at the Maryrest Cemetery in Mahwah.