Obituary of Joseph P. Murray, Jr.

Joseph P. Murray Jr., 79, of Manheim PA., passed away under the wonderful care of Hospice and Community Care in Mount Joy, PA, on March 17, 2024.  Joe was born in Lancaster, PA, to Joseph P. Murray Sr. and Beatrice Murray. 

Joe was a dedicated and loving husband, father (Poppy), grandfather (Da), brother, father-in-law, uncle, brother-in-law, and friend.  Joe was married to Susan Murray.  They would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in August of this year.  He loved his daughter, Jen, and granddaughter, Cammie, more than words can say.  Joe is survived by his wife, daughter Jennifer Corson (wife of Ernie Corson IV), granddaughter, Cammie, and sisters, Betty Grissinger (wife of George Grissinger) and Pat White (wife of the late Robert White).  He is preceded in death by his parents and son, Joseph P. Murray, III.

Joe was a “driver” his entire life for his occupation and as a way to relax and spend time with his family.  This included Sunday drives before GPS or taking his granddaughter wherever she needed to go.  He drove truck in his early career, to New York City every other day for over 18 years, delivering paper copy products to places like the World Trade Center.  He took his family to NYC, to enjoy the Christmas sights, many, many times.  Joe also drove for Conestoga Tours for many years, taking many trips.  Joe retired from working for several decades as a bus driver for Red Rose Transit Authority.  After retiring from driving bus, Joe worked at the Manheim Auto Auction as a driver.

Joe had many loves in his life.  Joe was an avid bowler.  He didn’t just coach his daughter, he took her to multiple states for tournaments.  He coached the youth at Rocky Springs Bowling Alley, where he also worked the counter and conditioned the lanes.  Joe loved to cook and always made enough to share with family and friends, especially his famous macaroni salad and smoked sausage.  He was never afraid to try cooking and eating new foods.  Joe was an avid classic car collector.  Over his lifetime, he had numerous classic cars, his favorite being his black '55 Chevy.  He rebuilt that car from the frame up.  He was a member of the Amish Country Cruisers, enjoying car shows and car cruises across PA and MD.  Joe could work on any car and even worked at a repair shop in his younger years.  Joe was a storyteller and had a unique sense of humor, that would make everyone smile.  His mind was full of stories about growing up in Lancaster.  His family loved his stories of working at the corner grocery store, doing track events in school (even though he wasn’t on the track team), and playing baseball.  He even had a chance to try out for the Yankees but was too short. 

Joe was always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone who needed it.  He even took the time to clip out articles from the paper that had to do with turtles for his granddaughter and trains for his daughter.  Every single phone call ended with, “Do you need anything?  Just give me a call!”

Joe had a special place in his heart for animals.  In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to your local Humane League.

There will be no funeral services at this time. The family will have a gathering of remembrance, which will be announced at a later date.