Bay of Plenty author Ron Murray, suffering from melanoma, dies three days after receiving his last book

He continued and finished About These Shells: A gentle guide from a shell lover and a tribute to the common Bay of Plenty shellsin which he shared with others the beauty he found in shells.

Murray held the book in his hands and died peacefully three days later.

His wife Jill said that after receiving the books, he felt “visible and physical relief” as his health was rapidly deteriorating. His memory was failing, but even then he kept a pen and notebook by his bed so he could write down anything he remembered during the night.

“The written word is something he really loved – it was only (in) the last two weeks that he stopped doing all the crosswords and stuff… The shell book was the only thing that kept him alive, and when they arrived, his health was failing.”

Jill and Murray first met in 1978 and were together for over 40 years. They met behind a backyard fence in Auckland when they were arguing in their 20s, she said between laughs.

Although he is gone now, she said they spent many good years together, filled with travel, humor and love for their two sons.

He wasn’t the type of person who dealt with standard problems, but rather a “multi-faceted, smart and quirky” person: so quirky, in fact, that he was that younger kid who saved all his pocket money to buy an encyclopedia instead of a football book.

Murray’s former colleague and friend, James Smith, said he met him about five years ago while working in public relations, but it was during the last month of his life that he got to know Murray better.

Smith helped Murray photograph the shells for his book – it was also something he was particularly keen on – and said, “Ron was determined not to let cancer dim his joy in life.”

“I got to know him a lot better and helped him fulfill his dream because this book is (the result of) quite a lot of inspiration about the shells that he collected over the years… He was very keen to publish it because he knew he was running out of time.

His favorite memory of him is “one of the last”: when Murray called him when the books arrived, asking for Smith to be there so they could open the package together.

“It made me feel privileged and humbled. When we opened it, you could honestly see his joy and relief as he flipped through the pages.

“He said, ‘Great, mission accomplished.'”

Jill said what she liked most was that her husband was a man of many talents, as well as his generosity and willingness to give time to people.

He loved woodturning and surfing, and made sure his loved ones had items to remember him by when he passed away.

He wrote notes and poems for people, which he rubber-banded around newly received books, along with bowls he made, which Jill delivered on his behalf.

Before his death, Murray stated that he wanted a reunion at a later date, not a funeral. His wish came true and his family and friends will gather on March 1 in… Papamoa to celebrate your life.

If anyone wanted to buy his latest novel About these shellsis available on Amazon.com.

Malisha Kumar is a multimedia journalist based in Hamilton. She joined Waikato Herald in 2023 after working at Radio 1XX in Whakatāne.