Obituary for Joan Barbara McMurray

 Joan McMurray, aged 94, passed away at Mt. Carmel East Hospital of kidney disease. At the time of her death, she was living at Sunrise Gahanna Assisted Living.

Joan McMurray was born Joan Barbara Hutchins in Bitterne Park, Southampton England. She was the youngest child of eight of John Thomas Hutchins and Elizabeth Jane (Smithers) Hutchins. She attended local schools and went to work at 14 years old (as was customary in England at the time) as an office worker. During World War II, she served as a cartographer for the Ordinance Survey creating maps for the British Army. Her neighborhood was heavily bombed during the war, and she spent most nights in a bomb shelter in her backyard.

She met her husband, Scott McMurray, on D-Day in England as he was preparing to go to Europe. They were married 8 months later, St. Valentine’s Day in 1945. She was a War Bride and arrived in the United States on April Fool’s Day, 1945, settling in Costonia near Toronto, Ohio. Early in their marriage they lived in Marion, Ohio for a number of years, before returning to Costonia.

Joan and her family loved travel and she has toured all over the U.S.A., Europe and Canada. For many years, she spent months in England living and traveling with her sisters annually.

Scott McMurray, who passed away in 1980, was a journalist and broadcaster for WSTV and WSTV-TV in Steubenville. After his death, she stayed in Steubenville up until 7 years ago, when she moved to Sugar Grove Apartments in Westerville, Ohio.

She was a homemaker for many years, and later in life worked as an office assistant for Dr. Enrique Macias. She was active in the War Brides Club in Steubenville and kept in close touch with other war brides from World War II and the Korean War.

She is survived by her only son, William McMurray of Columbus, Ohio; his wife Jeanne; grandchildren Alexis Powers, Elizabeth McMurray, son-in-law David Powers, great-grandchildren Aria and Isla Powers, and many nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her husband; her parents; brothers - John Hutchins, Frank Hutchins, Thomas Hutchins; sisters - Elizabeth Crowhurst, Beatrix Elliot, Eleanor Rose, and Edith White and their spouses

A Celebration of her life will take place bewteen 1 and 3 PM Saturday, October 27, 2018 at Hill Funeral Home, In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Westerville Sunrise Rotary Foundation in her name.