Obituary of Leah Oh Murray

May 12, 2026

Leah Kay Oh Murray, 93, passed away peacefully on Friday, May 1, 2026, after a brief illness.

Leah was born on October 11, 1932, in Anak, Korea, to Lee Chong Choo and Le Yong Won. She survived the Korean War as a refugee and immigrated to the United States after the war with two of her children, Susan and Samuel, her first husband, and her mother. Though she did not know any English, she worked extremely hard in a variety of jobs to support her family while simultaneously learning the language. The family relocated to New Jersey, and then Flushing, New York, where Leah gave birth to her children Paul and Lisa. In New York, Leah found work as a data entry operator and ultimately a manager at The Girl Scouts of America, where she retired after a long career. While at Girl Scouts, Leah met her second husband and love of her life, John “Jack” Murray. They married and lived happily together in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. After Jack passed away, Leah moved to Massachusetts, ultimately settling in the town of Easthampton where she developed a close and loving community of friends and neighbors. Leah often said the Massachusetts hills she could see from her kitchen window in Easthampton reminded her of the landscape of her childhood home in Korea. Eventually, Leah moved to Oakland, California, where she got to see her grandchildren, Torin and Oona, every day.

Leah was devoted to her family, especially her grandchildren Stephanie and Maya, along with Torin and Oona, each of whom she helped raise to some degree. She often sacrificed her own material enjoyment to ensure that her family would thrive and succeed. Leah loved to see new sights and places — she was able to travel to such far-flung locales as Egypt, Singapore, Venice, Japan, and, for the first time since she fled after the war, Korea — during her retirement. Later in life, Leah became a fan and avid watcher of Korean dramas. She was a loyal and devoted friend who loved to bake and cook for others — no one ever left her home hungry. Leah’s warmth, steadfast devotion, ready smile, and willingness to laugh at herself brought joy to everyone whose lives she touched.

Leah is survived by her children Sam, Paul, and Lisa, her grandchildren Stephanie, Maya, Torin, and Oona, and her daughters-in-law Kiko Toyohara and Erin Oh.

Funeral Services