A working father before the famous names
Edward J. Murray II was the father of nine children, including Bill Murray, Brian Doyle-Murray, and Joel Murray. I find his story most interesting before the film titles begin: a Chicago area father working in lumber sales, living with diabetes, and helping create a household remembered for quick wit and crowded dinners.
He is also identified as Edward Joseph Murray Jr. His birth is commonly listed as January 4, 1921, in Chicago. He died at 46 in late December 1967, with the exact day varying between December 29 and December 30. The uncertainty is small but should remain visible.
His children became famous after his death. Their later earnings and awards should not be projected backward onto the man who supported them during their childhood.
Meeting Lucille and building a household
Edward met Lucille Collins while they were high school students in Chicago. He attended St. George, and she attended St. Scholastica. They married November 6, 1943, and their first child, also Edward, arrived the following September.
The couple initially lived in a three room apartment in Rogers Park. In the summer of 1950, they moved to a modest Cape Cod house in Wilmette. That house became the setting for many later sibling memories, with a convent nearby, backyard games, and a dinner table seating eleven.
I see that table as one of the family’s early stages. A quick remark had to find its opening among many voices. Bill and Brian later credited their father’s humor as an influence, while siblings remembered a loud laugh and a dry way of puncturing self pity.
Lucille contributed her own voice, religious commitment, and wit. The household was a shared creation, not a comedy school run by one parent alone.
Lumber work and a demanding illness
Edward worked at J. J. Barney Lumber Company for about 20 years. For the final ten, he was vice president for sales. The familiar description lumber salesman is therefore incomplete but compatible with his actual role.
A family account puts his annual salary at $13,800. That is a historical income figure, not an estimate of assets or estate value. I would not use it to calculate a modern fortune or describe his family as wealthy.
Before lumber work, he reportedly did research for a Chicago Sun reporter and had considered the priesthood. Those details suggest other possible paths without establishing careers he actually pursued for long periods.
Diabetes increasingly affected his health. His children remembered him continuing to work and resisting pity. He died of complications of the disease in December 1967 at St. Francis Hospital in Evanston.
Six sons and three daughters
Edward and Lucille raised nine children. Their birth order is given as Ed, Brian, Nancy, Peggy, Bill, Laura, Andy, John, and Joel. I find a table useful because the brothers’ public careers can otherwise obscure the sisters and change the shape of the household in memory.
| Child | Later public connection |
|---|---|
| Edward Murray III | Financial adviser and early family golf influence |
| Brian Doyle-Murray | Actor comedian and writer |
| Nancy Murray | Adrian Dominican sister and performer |
| Peggy Murray | Largely private family member |
| Bill Murray | Actor and comedian |
| Laura Murray | Worked in banking |
| Andy Murray | Chef and restaurateur |
| John Murray | Actor and writer |
| Joel Murray | Actor and voice performer |
Ed, born September 7, 1944, won an Evans Scholarship and attended Northwestern. Brian, born October 31, 1945, later added Doyle to distinguish himself from another actor. After their father’s death, Brian left college to help support the family.
Nancy’s religious vocation also included theater and a touring portrayal of St. Catherine of Siena. Andy developed a restaurant career and published Eat, Drink, and Be Murray in 2022. These were different paths from a shared beginning.
Golf humor and the Caddyshack connection
Several Murray boys caddied at Indian Hill Country Club. Their experiences later helped shape Caddyshack, which Brian co wrote and in which Bill appeared. Ed’s scholarship story influenced the character of Danny Noonan.
I would not say Edward wrote the film or lived to see its success. His part in that history is earlier: the father of the children whose work, observations, and golf stories became material for the next generation.
The six brothers were later inducted into the Caddie Hall of Fame. That recognition belongs to them, while the family context reaches back to Edward and Lucille’s insistence on work and responsibility.
Loss and the later family
Edward’s death left Lucille with children ranging from young adulthood to early childhood. Joel, the youngest, had been born April 17, 1963. Lucille went to work in a mail room and lived until 1988, seeing the beginning of her sons’ success.
Bill’s six sons, Homer, Luke, Caleb, Jackson, Cooper, and Lincoln, are among Edward’s grandchildren. Joel’s children add another branch. The complete descendant list is not established here, and Edward did not meet grandchildren born after 1967.
His own parents are identified as Edward and Margaret Hogan Murray, with sisters Jean Heiser and Lois Hughes. Precise dates for those relatives remain less secure than the central household chronology.
FAQ
Who was Edward J Murray II?
He was a Chicago area lumber executive, husband of Lucille Collins, and father of nine Murray siblings, including actors Bill, Brian, John, and Joel.
When did he die?
He died in late December 1967 at 46. The available accounts differ between December 29 and December 30, so the precise day remains uncertain.
What was his occupation?
He spent about two decades at J. J. Barney Lumber Company and served as vice president for sales during his final ten years there.
Did he see Bill Murray become famous?
No. Edward died before his children’s major entertainment careers developed. Lucille lived until 1988 and saw some of that later success.
How was he connected to Caddyshack?
His sons’ caddying experiences helped inspire the film. Brian co wrote it, Bill performed in it, and Ed’s scholarship path influenced part of its story.
