Joan Christine Murray

BIDDEFORD – Today we rejoice in Joan Christine Murray’s reunion with her son, John Murray II, husband, John Murray, Momma and Poppa, her brothers- Donald, Norman, Harold, Raymond, Joseph and her sisters- Mary, Irene, Theresa, Martha — all now in Heaven. Joan ascended into Heaven in the arms of her savior Jesus Christ and in whose arms carried her home alas.Joan was born in Biddeford in 1937, the ninth child from a family of ten with five brothers and four sisters.Joan attended St. Mary’s school K to 8th grade, where the nuns nurtured Joan’s love of learning and fondness of music. She attended Biddeford High School, graduating in 1956, all the while working at Doran’s Pharmacy and the New England Telephone after school to save up money to put herself through college, where she graduated from Gorham Teachers College in 1960 with a bachelor of science degree in education.In September 1960 Joan started teaching sixth grade at Emory School in Biddeford, she also taught at Pease Air Force base, teaching fourth grade in 1963. It was also the year she married John F. Murray. Joan’s husband passed away in 1995.With the birth of Joan’s son in 1964 she took some time off to care for him, then resumed her teaching career around 1969 when she moved to Keene, N.H. after her husband John took a job at Kingsbury as a draftsman. Joan briefly taught in the Keene school system before eventually settling in Westmoreland where she taught 4th grade until 1997, where due to a serious knee injury while on outside school duty, she reluctantly retired.In 1998 Joan met Dennis Griffin, from upstate New York, they’ve remained a couple ever since.Throughout her life, Joan embraced an eclectic range of music. As an Irish girl, she loved her Irish heritage from songs like “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling”, “Danny Boy”, to Johnny Cash’s song “Forty Shades of Green”, as well as her Catholic hymns and religious songs such as “How Great Thou Art”, which she’d routinely sing around her house. “Daddy’s Hands” by Holly Dunn reminded her of her Papa, and it would often make her weep as her memories of her loving childhood rushed in. In 2002 Joan visited Ireland with her sisters Mary, Irene and Martha. She said it was a trip of a lifetime and a wish come true to see the land of her ancestors.Joan mostly loved romantic movies, her favorite above all else was Gone With The Wind, which she never tired of watching, often reciting Scarlett O’Hara’s lines verbatim throughout the entire film.Survivors include her granddaughter Jessie Brewer, her grandson Kyle Murray; and her partner in life, Dennis Griffin.Dennett, Craig & Pate Funeral Home, 365 Main St, Saco, are entrusted with her services. A committal service at the family lot at St. Marys Cemetery will be announced at a later date.