It is with great sadness that the Hazen family announces the passing of Murray.
Murray was born on October 26, 1926, in Toronto, York County. He spent his childhood across various northern Ontario communities, and spent time with his cousins on his grandpa’s farm in the Footes Bay Area.
As he grew, he took on an eclectic variety of jobs, working as a printer in a chocolate factory, a portrait photographer, and a refrigeration technician, before settling in Chapleau, Ontario, as a brakeman and locomotive engineer for the Canadian Pacific Railway. He would stay in Chapleau for the next 75 years of his life, building a community of family and friends and a camp on Borden Lake where they could gather.
He loved trains, planes, and boats, and witnessed the transition from steam to diesel in his lifetime. When camping on family vacations, it was often close to the tracks, where he could hear the trains rolling by. At camp he was often out on the water in the boat, or else puttering around his various sheds and workshops looking for things to fix. He could fix anything electrical or manual, but we wouldn’t ask him to complete a carpentry task. Murray was a great problem-solver, and approached any dilemma with a level of determination and stubbornness he was famous for in his family. This stubbornness was loved and hated at times, and reflected in his dedication to his own independence, even as he aged.
At 96 years old, Murray was the “youngest old guy we knew.” Murray was known for his kindness, and was always a good friend. He had many passions, loving to dance and listen to music, meticulously recording the day’s weather in his notebook, and spending many hours at the curling club. He continued to keep up with the sport on television in his later years.
Murray is survived by his daughter Lynn Hazen (Tony Elders) of Fort Frances, and son Kelly (Lucy) of Chapleau; grandchildren Dana Elders, Kaila Elders, Megan Hazen and Annabelle Hazen; his sisters Iris Keith of Kitchener, Carol Ann Turcotte of Kitchener; his numerous nieces and nephews; and his beloved samoyed Misty.
Murray is predeceased by his wife Phyllis Hazen (née Delaney) and his wife Janet Hazen (née Bogart); his sister Bernice Rose.
His family enjoyed a rum and coke in his honour, and will plan a celebration of life in Chapleau at a later date.
Arrangements entrusted to Northridge Funeral Home Ltd.
