vision of
romance on the sunny hilltop TOM AND KAREN MURRAY Tom Murray met his wife Karen when he decided to have a combination housewarming and Christmas party at the new home where he and his daughter Brianna had recently moved. He invited some of his old neighbors, one of whom said that her sister was visiting. Tom said, “Bring her along.” Tom and Karen started dating shortly thereafter.
Karen was living in Vancouver at the time, so needless to say, there were a number of trips between Monterey and British Columbia over the next couple of years. When they decided to get married, York’s Maureen Church Coburn Chapel seemed the obvious choice for a myriad of reasons, but mostly because York was the community where Tom felt most at home. The couple had planned a fairly small wedding, so the chapel was a perfect fit. Further, Reverend Roger Bowen, York Headmaster at the time, was their chosen officiant, so everything naturally fell into place. Karen had already met a number of the York faculty; in fact, she had met several the same night she and Tom met, including physics
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teacher Nick Hart, who served as best man. Brianna served as a flower girl, while York alum Michelle Maruyama ’96, who had become a professional violinist, assembled a string quartet which sounded beautiful in the chapel. As the wedding was planned for early November of 1999, the afternoon light was perfect for both the ceremony and photos.
Years later, the time came for their son Andrew’s christening, Tom and Karen chose the York Chapel as their venue for many of the same reasons. Quite a few of the same friends and family were able to attend, adding a feeling of reunion to the ceremony. York’s marvelous cathedral baptismal font was an added bonus. Tom Murray retired in 2018 after teaching at York School for 35 years. Karen is the owner of Edison & Melrose, a delightful tea and treats shop in Pacific Grove, and she has also catered many York events throughout the years. We hope to see their son, Andrew, on campus next year as part of York’s 2025 class!
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