Jeffrey E. Murray

Jeffrey Evan Murray, 71, of Anna Maria, died Sept. 8, 2023 at home.

He was born in October 1951 in DesMoines, Iowa, to Lois and Byron Masters, and briefly lived in Knox, Pennsylvania. The family moved to Bradenton when he was 12 and he attended Prine Elementary and Manatee High School.

He started his career in building on Anna Maria Island 45 years ago. He received his contractor’s license in 1981 and remodeled and built a significant number of custom homes and the city pier during his career. He served on the Anna Maria Code Enforcement Board for several years.

Mr. Murray loved sports. He was an avid fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Tampa Bay Rays, Lightning and especially Florida State University, spending hours talking about his teams and their stats.

After retirement, he developed a love for glazing pottery and accompanied his wife to many juried art shows throughout Florida.

His sense of humor and easy laugh were well known to his family and friends and he will be greatly missed.

Mr. Murray is survived by his wife of 29 years, Jean; daughter Emily and granddaughter Charlotte; sister Jane and husband Michael Lewis; brothers Mark and wife Augusta, and Todd and wife Vicki; nephews Zach and wife Jess, and Dakota and wife Ashley; and nieces Amber and Kaylin.

A Memorial Service is planned for 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, at Roser Memorial Community Church, 512 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, with a reception immediately following.

Memorial donations may be made to Roser Church, P.O. Box 247, Anna Maria, FL 34216, or the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.