Obituaries

Nadine Hough Murray passed away on May 15, 2024, after a short battle with cancer.

She was born in Hugo, Colorado on October 3rd, 1934, and grew up in South Denver, graduating from South Denver high school. Her parents, Hugh and Lucille Hough, operated a small ranch in the Parker area where Nadine rode horses and was active in 4-H, winning an award for sewing her own wool clothes.

Always keen to advance her education, Nadine attended Colorado Women’s College for two years before transferring to Colorado State University where she received an English degree in 1958. While at CSU, she served as Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority president, and more importantly, met her future husband on a blind date.

Nadine married John Augustus Murray in Denver, Colorado in 1958. While Jack trained in medicine in Houston, Philadelphia, Spokane, and Seattle, she taught English to middle school students. During their time at Fairchild Airforce Base, she completed a master’s degree in English education at Eastern Washington State University while managing to ski over 100 days.

Upon returning to Seattle, she began teaching students at the University of Washington.

Nadine dedicated her life and passions to teaching, travel, philanthropy, her various small businesses, and being an incredible mother and contributor to many in the Seattle community. Her interests included drama, where she served on the ACT Theater Board and supported the drama school at the University of Washington. She also belonged to the Seattle Yacht Club and to the Lake Washington Garden Club. Nadine and Jack traveled extensively around the world including much of the U.S., Mexico, Europe, South America, Asia, Australia, and Africa. On one of their many adventures to China, she taught English to Chinese students while Jack spent the day working at the local hospital with their cardiologists.

After retiring, Nadine and Jack spent more than a decade growing and selling protea flowers in Kula, Maui. Their farm, called Cloud Flower, was over nine acres. She also had special succulent plants she raised during that time.

In 2022, they established an academic chair at Colorado State University who will direct the Honors Program.

She is survived by her husband of 65 years Dr. Jack Murray, her son John Murray, her daughter-in-law Joanna Murray and her granddaughters Isabella and Tasmyn of Seattle. In addition, her brothers Vernon Hough of Charleston, SC, and Kenneth Hough, of Enterprise, OR. She will be missed dearly and is loved beyond measure.

Donations may be directed to the Don and Lois Hough Scholarship at CSU.