Alice Dolan Murray of Charlotte, only child of Joseph and Elizabeth Dolan, was born in Pittsburgh on April 13, 1919, and died April 15, 2012, having celebrated her 93rd birthday in Carolinas Medical Center.
Alice, who was predeceased by her husband, Andrew H. Murray, is survived by her half sister Helen Howell of Maryville TN; son Neil Murray of Lilburn GA; daughter Charlotte M. Davis of Charlotte; grandchildren Julian Davis of San Marcos TX, Laura Davis of Knoxville TN, Tara Murray of Bellefonte PA, and Dylan Murray of Tallahassee FL; and beloved cats George and Maggie.
Alice lived in Germany and France with her family from 1927 to 1939, where she learned German and French and a love of European culture. She studied at Heidelberg University and left on the eve of World War II to study at Miami University (Ohio) and Ohio State University, where she earned baccalaureate and master's degrees. During the War, she taught German for the U.S. Army Special Training Program, where she met her future husband, one of her star pupils.
She moved to Long Island NY, where she concentrated on raising her children and, later, on teaching German and French at Ward Melville High School in Setauket NY. She received a Fulbright Grant to serve as an exchange teacher in Austria from 1964 to 1965. She enjoyed many summers in Europe with friends and in her eighties traveled to Ireland and Scotland with her son.
Alice loved fine food, good company, lively conversation, classical music, the educational successes of her grandchildren, and local museums, including The Mint, The Bechtler, and The Museum of the New South. Her sharp wit, quirky sense of humor, and compassion were a delight to family and friends.
At Alice's request, there will be no funeral or memorial service. Donations may be sent to The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, 420 South Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC, 28202 or by contacting Elizabeth Sheets by email at elizabeth.sheets@bechtler.org or calling 704.353.9216.
