BROWN, Murray Bruce Brown

passed peacefully into the presence of his Lord and Saviour on February 19, 2026, in his seventy-eighth year. He was surrounded by his family at Lakeridge Health Oshawa.

Murray was born on May 16, 1948 to the late James Bruce and Gladys Bernice (Mann) Brown. He became an older brother to Wayne in 1953. Growing up on a beef farm in Baltimore, Ontario, Murray helped both his father and grandfather with farm chores from a young age. Each day, Murray and Wayne walked to their one-room country school, where Murray was the only student in his grade! He later graduated from Northumberland Collegiate West.

Murray continued to partner with his dad on the farm and anticipated that his life would be spent there. But God had other plans.

In 1979, a friend from church, Oscar Davey, decided to play matchmaker. Knowing Oscar’s character and wisdom, Murray eagerly accepted the invitation to meet Oscar’s niece, Marilyn Etcher. Murray and Marilyn got engaged in 1980 and married on June 13, 1981. They settled in Oshawa. Marilyn worked in Toronto as an actuary and after leaving farming, Murray worked at various local companies. Murray and Marilyn’s marriage was one of friendship, laughter, unwavering support, and love.

Murray’s first fight with cancer came in 1982. He and Marilyn were told that their chances of having a biological child were slim. Yet again, God had other plans. Andrea was born in 1984 and came home on their third anniversary.

With Andrea, Murray embraced the role he did best: stay-at-home dad. He was involved in Andrea’s daily activities and regularly volunteered at her school. During this time, he also took on caregiving for his parents and mother-in-law, a responsibility he carried out faithfully until his mother’s death in 2021.

In 2021, Andrea married Jeremy and Murray gained a son. He proudly talked about Jeremy as his own. He dispensed wisdom when requested, but mostly just took pride in the man that Jeremy is and enjoyed their inside jokes.

Murray was well known for his service and devotion to the work at Calvary Baptist Church. He served as an usher and he and Marilyn led the Calvary library. Murray made these roles so much more than just finding a seat or checking out a book: he saw these as opportunities to connect with new families and folks finding their place in a larger church. Continuing his work with books, he packed thousands of boxes of training materials for pastors and congregations overseas. He also devoted himself to the retirees ministry at Calvary, leading Thursday gatherings, while also prioritizing time to make phone calls each evening to stay in touch with those who were sick or away.

Even in this past month as his homegoing snuck up so quickly, Murray served. He was genuinely interested in each doctor, nurse and staff member he encountered during his final battle with cancer and sincerely thanked each one for their care. He also prayed for his fellow patients, those who were lonely or anxious. He was the Murray we all love, right until God called him home.

Murray will be dearly missed by his wife Marilyn, daughter Andrea and son-in-law Jeremy Muehlbacher, brother Wayne (Edda), and many extended family members. Murray was a friend to many and will be greatly missed by neighbours and the Calvary Baptist Church community.

The family would like to thank the incredible nurses, doctors, staff, and volunteers at Lakeridge Health Oshawa and the Durham Regional Cancer Centre for their care and compassion. The family would also like to thank our church communities of Calvary Baptist Church and Trulls Road Church for their support and practical help during Murray’s final illness and homegoing.

Visitation will be at McIntosh-Anderson-Kellam Funeral Home in Oshawa on Thursday, February 26 from 1 to 3 and 6 to 8 p.m.

A service celebrating Murray’s life will be held on Friday, February 27 at 11 a.m. at Calvary Baptist Church, Oshawa. Reception to follow at this location, with interment at Thornton Cemetery in Oshawa.

Donations in memory of Murray to Calvary Baptist Church, The Refuge, or Canadian Foodgrains Bank are appreciated.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

John 14:1-3