Murray Schad, age 82, of North Platte, Nebraska passed away surrounded by his family on Friday, November 6, 2020, at Kearney Regional Medical Center in Kearney, Nebraska, from Covid-19.
Murray was born September 6, 1938, to Ambrose 'AF' and Ida Schad in Gothenburg, Nebraska. During World War II, the family moved to Portland, Oregon, while AF worked in the ship yards. When they returned to Gothenburg, AF and Marvel opened a heating and plumbing business and Murray attended school until 9th grade when the family moved to North Platte.
Murray attended North Platte High School and was involved in track. He graduated in 1956 then attended Doane College for a year before transferring to the University of Nebraska at Lincoln where he became a member of Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity.
While working at Lennox Furnace Industry in Marshalltown, Iowa, Murray met Maris Collins. They were married at Central Christian Church in Marshalltown on November 25, 1960, and returned to Lincoln and UNL. In June 1961, the couple moved to North Platte where their daughter, Stacey, and son, Steven Murray, were born. Murray and Maris would have celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary in 2020.
Murray worked in his parents' heating and plumbing business, managed the family owned Cedar Lodge Motel, and eventually joined Jack Hupfer's Scott Abstract and Insurance business. Murray studied for and became a real estate agent, then broker. He opened Schad Real Estate and Insurance Agency then was joined by Gil Wilkinson in the Schad-Wilkinson Century 21 Agency and later gained Jim Ryan and Steve Jewell as partners in Schad, Ryan & Jewell Insurance Agency. Murray was an Admiral in the Great Navy of the State of Nebraska.
He was an avid outdoors man who loved to hunt, fish, and golf with friends and family. He loved fishing with ultralight fishing tackle and making his own lures. Murray's passion for hunting pheasant and quail over his German shorthair pointers was another joy of his life. He always found time to hunt turkey, deer and geese. After Murray introduced the family to trapshooting, Steve and Maris joined in the sport and they enjoyed traveling the country together.
Murray was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Aaron.
He will be missed by his wife, Maris of North Platte; daughter, Stacey of Frederick, CO; son, Steven Murray of Omaha, NE; grandson, Dr. Tatum Murray (Rachel) Schad of Kansas City, MO; granddaughter, Andrea (Rob) Ham and great-grandchildren, Daphanie, Aadon and Landon Ham, all of North Platte, NE; sisters-in-law, Janice Schad of North Platte, NE and Jan Elledge of Ames, IA; as well as his nieces, nephews and other family.
In keeping with Murray's wishes, cremation was chosen and due to social restrictions, services will be at a later date. The memorial book may be signed online at odeanchapel.com or at Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore, which is in charge of arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Wounded Warrior Project, 4899 Belfort Road Suite 300, Jacksonville, FL 32256, or the North Platte Presbyterian Church, 1901 Leota Street, North Platte, 69101.