Steve Murray

Steve Murray, 69, of West Salem, WI (formerly of La Crosse) passed away suddenly on July 5, 2018. We celebrate Steve’s life with the same joy and happiness that he brought into our world each day.

Steve was born on March 18, 1949 to John and Mary (Leinfelder) Murray in La Crosse, WI, the fourth of five children. He had fond memories of exploring his neighborhood and the banks of the Mississippi with his friends, inspired by the adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.

Steve attended Cathedral grade school and had great pride in singing with the Bishop’s Choristers and serving Mass at Saint Rose Convent and the Cathedral. He left home at age 14 to attend Holy Cross Seminary, where he completed high school and his first two years of college. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in education from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota and a master’s degree in English literature from Mankato State University. During his school years, Steve formed a close bond with his classmates through sports, running cross-country and playing football and basketball. Later in life, he shared this love for sports with all of his children and grandchildren. He was always ready for playing catch or game of touch football.

Inspired in part by his uncle, Rev. Phil Leinfelder, Steve committed himself to Catholic education, serving 45 years as teacher and administrator. He began his career as a religion and humanities teacher at Pacelli High School in Austin, MN, where he served from 1971 – 1994. He instilled the values of Catholic social teaching with his students in the classroom and through service projects that addressed poverty, just-war, and the right to life.

In 1994, Steve and his family returned home to La Crosse when he assumed the role of dean of students and religion teacher at Aquinas High School. After many years of teaching, he served as a full-time member of the school’s leadership team until his retirement in 2016. He greatly valued his relationships with his colleagues and friends. During those years, you could find him at almost every Aquinas event, cheering on the athletes, musicians, and actors. Very dear to him was being able to help a student who was struggling to find their path to happiness and success in school.

Steve met the love of his life, Bonnie Stalsberg, while they were in college. They committed themselves to each other in marriage on June 26, 1971 and truly lived as “one” each day forward. Starting with that first date, Steve was always a romantic, expressing his love in songs and poems. They shared the blessing of their love with their six children (Ben, Jesse, Dan, Steve, Dave and Catherine) and their spouses and partners, and their 11 grandchildren. Everything he did was for his family. No matter his work schedule, Steve had dinner with his family every evening, catching up on the day and sharing his unique humor! Each morning and evening, Steve and Bonnie together prayed for the happiness of their children and grandchildren. His love was unconditional and at the heart of each moment he shared with them as well as his extended family. After the loss of his own parents, he shared a special bond with his mother-in-law Rose Stalsberg.

It was important to Steve to provide a beautiful home, emotionally and physically, for his family. He loved a good renovation project and often exceeded his monthly allowance for Menards! And after years of renovating the family home, he helped each of his children make their houses homes for their families. Steve was also passionate about music and poetry. He loved Bob Dylan’s music, owning every album the artist ever released. Throughout his life, Steve played piano, guitar and harmonica and composed his own music. He self-produced an album in the 1980s called Songs for the Unborn to support the pro-life movement. In retirement, he found GarageBand and YouTube as his new avenue for sharing his gifts with the world. Check out his creations at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOxvWUQjyvZRiI3f_F1Zuhw

When raising his family, Steve and Bonnie dreamt of having a one-week family reunion with their growing family. They established a bi-annual tradition of hosting Camp Murray in 2009. This week-long family reunion was precious for Steve. He was always busy making sure that his kids and grandkids were having the time of their life! During the week, you could catch him sitting around the campfire with the biggest smile on his face, beaming with joy and gratitude for his family. There will be a chair around the camp fire for him next summer for Camp Murray 2019 while stories of grandpa “Boochie Bob” and a loving dad and husband are shared.

Steve was our greatest champion, rejoicing in our triumphs and supporting us in our challenges. He will be greatly missed and his legacy will live on in all those he touched throughout his life.

Survived by the love of his life, his wife Bonnie, and their children and grandchildren: Ben and Robyn Murray; Jesse and Sarah Murray (Henry, Clare and Peter); Dan Murray and Samantha Mennell; Steve and Katie Murray (Emma, Wilson, Carter, Jackson and Baby (due August)); Dave and Cassie Murray (Isaac Sunne-Murray, Moses and Emmitt); and Catherine (Murray) and Neil Hendrickson; siblings Phil (Sheila) Murray and Anne Breidel (Bill Wegmiller); mother-in-law Rose Stalsberg; and many extended family members. Preceded in death by his parents, John and Mary (Leinfelder) Murray; siblings, John Murray and Mary Gretchen Kleinschmidt; father-in-law, Ernie Stalsberg; brother-in-law, Jeff Stalsberg; nephew, Peter Murray; and three angel grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, July 10 ^th , at Mary, Mother of the Church Parish, 2006 Weston St., La Crosse ( www.mmoclacrosse.org ). Rev. Rick Roberts will officiate. Private family entombment will follow in the Catholic Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 9:00 a.m. until the time of Mass on Tuesday at the Church. Schumacher-Kish Funeral and Cremation Services of La Crosse is assisting the family. A full obituary about Steve’s life and an online guestbook are available at www.schumacher-kish.com .