By Danielle Ray
Landmark correspondent
STERLING — Community members came out in full force recently to pay tribute to beloved town resident Terry Murray and to comfort her family in their time of loss.
Theresa (Faubert) Murray, 74, peacefully passed away at home July 13 surrounded by her loving and supportive family, who were by her side in the hospital and then back at home since she suffered a heart attack in April. The long line that snaked through Miles-Sterling Funeral & Tribute Center for her wake on July 20 was a true testament to how much everyone adored Terry, a longtime town hall staff member who always greeted everyone with a smile and her kind, soft demeanor.
More than two dozen beautiful, vibrant flower arrangements decorated the funeral home, and people greeted each other warmly, hugging and chatting while patiently waiting for hours to see Terry’s family. For a somber occasion, there was a lot of smiling and reminiscing — it felt like a town reunion of sorts.
A video screen played a slideshow of images from family vacations and gatherings, pictures filled with a lot of love. Her tightknit family, including her husband of 55 years and former Select Board member Don Murray, daughters Dawn Metcalf and Jennifer Murray, grandkids and great-grandchildren and extended family welcomed the comfort poured onto them by the hundreds of people who showed up, including fire, police, DPW, town hall staff, family, friends, and many more.
Every available seat was filled half an hour before the 10:30 a.m. celebration of life service held the following morning at Miles, which came as no surprise to anyone. The Murray family is well-known in town and adored by many. People sang along softly when “Country Roads,”, one of Terry’s favorite songs, was played, and the Reverend Cindy Maybeck led everyone in the Lord’s Prayer.
“This morning we gather in love to celebrate a life,” Maybeck told the large crowd. “There is a tenderness, a brokenness. Know that you are loved.”
Dawn’s voice broke as she talked about her mom with her sister Jennifer by her side. Terry was the youngest of four girls, and Dawn shared that their family’s strong bond “is immeasurable.” Dawn talked about her father being “swept away” by Terry when they met at an ice cream shop, and joked about her mom “basically raising triplets, God bless her.”
“No one wanted to babysit us,” Dawn quipped about her and Jennifer and their late sister Becky, who died Aug. 14, 1995, at the age of 23.
“She always loved us unconditionally,” Dawn said of her mom, adding that when Becky got sick, Terry took care of her, the ultimate form of “unconditional love” that a parent feels for their child.
“Mom worshipped her children and great-grandchildren … and always had loving arms open for all of them.”
She spoke of her mother’s attributes, including being “so kind to everyone” and her “silly” side. Dawn said that as a family with three daughters and numerous friends coming in and out of their Upper North Row Road family home at all times of the day when they were growing up, things could get noisy.
“She would say in her little voice, ‘Can you please turn down the music?’,” Dawn said, which drew chuckles from the crowd. “Mom was one of the most gentle, beautiful people to walk the earth. Be kind to one another and always leave the light on in the kitchen.”
Jennifer said a dragonfly had recently come to visit them, “a sign we needed,” and as she fought back tears said, “We will be OK, we will just miss her for a while. We love you all.”
There was not a dry eye in the house after the girls’ reminiscences and another favorite song of Terry’s played, “Lord’s My Shepherd” by Stuart Townsend. Rev. Maybeck got up again and encouraged everyone to share stories and memories about Terry with the family on their own, quipping that if she opened up the microphone at the funeral, “We would be here all day.”
Maybeck read some scripture before giving a touching meditation talk about Terry and her beautiful legacy of love titled “Harvesting Love and Care.” Maybeck highlighted how Terry worked in the town treasurer’s office for 37 years, most recently as the assistant collector, and that she enjoyed greeting people and welcoming them to the town hall, a way that “she showed her care.”
She talked about Terry being an avid gardener and green thumb, a plant lover who joked that she was “feeding the chipmunks with whatever she was growing.” Terry was also an animal lover, and the greatest joy in her life was spending time with her family and her large network of friends and acquaintances, members of the Terry fan club.
“Terry created a home for an entire generation,” Maybeck said of Terry and Don opening up their home to their daughters’ many friends, and said directly to her family that “nothing on earth can separate you.”
The reverend spoke about Becky being diagnosed with liver cancer and being given six months to live. Miraculously, she lived another five years surrounded by her loving family.
Maybeck recalled that there was “an incredible lightning storm” the night Terry died, likening the force of nature to “a whole bunch of selfies of Terry and Becky.” She wrapped up her thoughts by saying that Terry’s time on Earth was “a life that made a difference to everyone who came upon her path.”
“As we remember Terry, we are grateful for the legacy of love and care,” she said.
The funeral procession went past the Murray homestead on Upper North Row before traveling to Hillside Cemetery, where Terry was laid to rest. The Sterling Fire Department had trucks with lights on parked in front of the fire station to pay tribute to Terry and for the long line of vehicles that made their way through downtown on the way to the cemetery. A reception at the Eight Point Sportsmen’s Club followed the burial.
The weather the night of Terry’s celebration of life? A deluge of rain followed by an oddly quiet and stunning lightning and thunder show that went on for hours. It was as if Terry and Becky were saying “We’re here watching over everyone. We’re OK, and we love you.”
