Obituary of Kimberley Murray

Kimberley Jane Murray (nee Shirley) of Kanata Ontario, passed away peacefully on February 11, 2025 at the age of 56. Kim fought a long and tough battle with brain cancer with unbelievable grace. She was the beloved wife of John Kenneth Murray and the incredible mother to her son, Kayden James Murray. Kim was the daughter of Jeanette Lillian (nee Delorme) Shirley (pre-deceased) and James Hubert Shirley and the supportive loving sister to her three brothers Mike (pre-deceased), Rob (Lana) and David (Anne-Marie). Kim was the daughter-in-law to Joyce (pre-deceased) and John Darrach Murray and sister-in-law to Ross Murray and Alex Houghton. Kim was also the doting Aunt to Alyson Shirley, Wynn Murray, and Erin and Leah Shirley.

Born in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba on April 7, 1968 into an Air Force family Kim and her three brothers were always "from somewhere else” as the family moved every four years, Portage la Prairie to Winnipeg MB to Chatham NB to North Bay ON and finally to Ottawa ON. The four siblings had the collective experience of being the new kids at school and meeting new friends. Kim attained an Honours Secondary School Graduation Diploma at Cairine Wilson Secondary School (1982 - 1987) Gloucester, Ontario and a Bachelor of Business Administration at University of Ottawa (1987 - 1990) Ottawa, Ontario.

Similar energy carried over to when all the four kids worked at Zak's Diner and later at the Blue Cactus restaurant in the Byward Market. They all possessed what could be considered the "Shirley work ethic”, not shy of hard work, but always trying  to have a little fun doing it while never taking themselves too seriously.

Kim joined the Public Service in 1998 and accumulated significant experience throughout her excellent career; with stops at the Canada Revenue Agency, Shared Services Canada, and Health Canada. At the Canada Border Services Agency, she hit the ground running during the height of the pandemic and had an immediate positive impact with her passion for not only all things IT, but for helping others achieve and perform at their best. Those fortunate enough to have worked with her will fondly remember how calm and positive she was in all situations. She certainly made others better simply by knowing and working with her.

Kim had a tight circle of close friends. She was a loyal, thoughtful and generous friend who always put others first. Her sense of humour and infectious laugh stand out as the two traits that friends remember most.  From long weekends at Wasaga beach, fun nights at Stoney Mondays, and weekend breakfasts at the Elgin Street Diner with all their kids, Kim always enjoyed spending time with her friends. She was also a “date savant” never forgetting to reach out on birthdays and special milestones.

Kim had numerous interests and hobbies. She was an animal lover (Lucy the Labradoodle, Maddie and Charlie the cats), an avid reader (always had at least two books on the go), competitive “Sailor Scrabble” player (involved alcohol and swearing), knitter and sewer (clothes, costumes, teddy bear maker, xmas gnomes), she was an excellent cook and enthusiastic baker (her Christmas baking was always highly anticipated). 

Kim loved sports; snowshoeing, skiing, hiking, volleyball (perennial MVP) and excelled at golf but didn't play much of the latter as it took too much time away from her biggest passion, gardening. She was dedicated to the care and nurturing of the expansive gardens at home in Beaverbrook as well as more beds up at the cottage on Bob’s Lake. She would happily spend hours on end “just puttering”. She had a vast knowledge of plants and generously shared tips and advice. 

Kim loved being a cottager -  morning coffee on the dock, BBQ meals, paddle-boarding, cocktail croquet, fires outside at night, quality time with her family and friends. Spending so much time outdoors led to another passion, photography. Armed with her Canon digital camera and specialized lens, Kim would spend hours taking pictures of her gardens and surrounding nature . One of her favourite subjects was photographing the incredible variety of mushrooms around the cottage which earned her the family nickname “crazy mushroom lady”,coined after  finding her kneeling with deep concentration in the morning dew to get a shot.

Kim was an intrepid traveller (Australia, NYC, Rocky Mountaineer, Arizona, Mexico, St. Martin, Turks and Caicos, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, road trips to the family farm in PEI, etc.), an enthusiastic sightseer embracing different cultures and local cuisine but she was also the one for seeking out adventure along the way, volcano hikes, jungle treks, zip lining, surfing, scuba diving and she absolutely loved amusement parks rides and rollercoasters, the scarier things got, the bigger the laughs. 

But more than anything, Kim loved her family. As a wife and mother, she was elite. As a spouse she was the perfect mixture of being amazingly warm, wise, selfless, funny and beautiful. Kim was a natural Momma Bear too, always loving, nurturing, patient, understanding, and gave unwavering unconditional love. Kim was a giver not a taker and always put others before her. When she was told of her diagnosis, she was more concerned for her family’s well being than she was for what she was about to face. There was never a question that she made her family proud in everything she did, though I'm sure that was never her goal.  She just always tried to do the best job she could at anything she needed to get done.

At the end of the day, anyone that knew Kimi, knew she was a good person and friend, and they could always count on her in a time of need. Her warmth and kindness were a gift and she will be dearly missed by those who were lucky enough to call her a friend.

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The family would like to recognize the amazing support and care that Kim received at Ruddy Shenkman Hospice. The thoughtful Dr. Jennings, staff and volunteers worked diligently to provide the special care and dignity that Kim needed and deserved.  In lieu of flowers a donation to the Ruddy Shenkman Hospice -Hospice Care Ottawa could be made. 

A Celebration of Life for Kim will be held from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 22, 2025 at Highland Park Visitation Centre, 2037 McGee Side Road, Carp ON.