Dr. Joseph E. Murray (1919-2012): a life of curiosity, humanism, and persistence.

Provided with lunch by his ever-present assistant Nancy, a cooler placed between Dr. Murray and his wife Bobby, both sitting in the rear of the car, we were on our way to rural Maine. Escorted by Ginny, the oldest of the six Murray children who had also been close to the Herricks, we arrived four hours later. Although the event was sad, Cynthia, Ron’s widow, and the extended Herrick family gave us a warm welcome. We were part of the Herrick family, and the memorial service could not have taken place without Dr. Murray. I was astounded seeing generations of Herricks all looking like Ron and Richard, my heroes, whose photograph decorates my office wall. Dr. Murray’s work, I came to realize, not only saved the life of his patients, but also made the life of generations to come possible (1).