Willie Murry

Willie Junior “Red” Murry, 79, was born in Laurens County, South Carolina, on November 26, 1937, and taken off this battlefield, on Saturday, March 4, 2017, at the Greenville Health System. He was a son of the late John Russell Merrill and Emma Lindsey West.


“Red”, as he was affectionately known, was only able to achieve a first grade education because of a need to work in fields with his family in rural Laurens County. At an early age, he became fascinated with tractors and trucks and subsequently became a heavy equipment operator, helping to grade the roads, highways and parking lots in Greenville, Laurens, Spartanburg, Columbia and many other cities in South Carolina and North Carolina as technology progressed to computerized machinery. GOD gave him the anointing to operate them. A former employer, Dave Roaden, of Roadco Construction Company, upon learning of “Reds” death replied, “Let everybody know that if Willie was an educated man, I would have been working for him” even though “Red” was successful in many ways without an education. The most important thing that occurred in his life was that he found Jesus! In 2013, his eldest child, W. Calvin Murray, Sr., led him to the Lord. On Sunday, June 30, 2013, he was baptized. He loved his children, and had a passion for encouraging his grandchildren to get the education that he didn’t have the opportunity to get.

TAKE YOUR REST SIR!!!!! IT’S WELL DESERVED

Left to cherish many fond memories are his daughters, Malinda (Keith) Drayton and Carolyn Byrd (Keith) Hunter, both of Greenville; sons, Willie C. (Beverly) Murray, Sr., of the home; Tony (Donica) Murray of Atlanta, GA, Victor (LaDon) Pyles and Vernon (Sonyetta) Pyles, both of Greer and Alphonzo Pyles of Greenville; stepdaughters, Tisha, Tonya and Toni Dilliard, all of Greer and Sharon Smith of Greenville; stepson, Harold Thompson of Greenville; sisters, Sadie Mae West, Emma Jean Johnson, Willie Ruth Hagood and Beatrice (Nate) Noel, all of Greenville, Betty (Willie) Boyce and Annette Green, both of Laurens and Burnadette Lawson of Jackson, MS; brothers, Jessie West of Laurens, Willie Earl and Bobby (Beverly) West and Arthur Lee Young, all of Greenville and Kenneth (Helen) Gante of Washington, DC; aunt, Helen Tinsley of Charlotte, NC; uncle, Willie (Hannah) Merrill of Gray Court, SC; fourteen grandchildren, W. Calvin (Joaquina) Murray, Jr., Spencer (Shea) Murray, Breanna Murray, Tricie Williams, Moreo Latta, Tera Johnson, Dionte Moore, Christopher (Regina) Pyles, Brelyn Pyles, Braun Atkins, Sharika Pyles, Jasmine Lomax, Constance Byrd and Jeremy Byrd; seventeenstep-grandchildren; thirty-two step-great-grandchildren and four step-great-great-grandchildren; a loving companion, Cecilia Barnes and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends.