Obituary of Ann Woodruff Murray

Ann was the first of Ed and Carolyn (née Powell) Woodruff’s four children, born in Clarkston, Washington. Before she was ten, the family moved to Spokane where Ann discovered two of her passions, painting and gardening. She spent many summers at her grandparents’ farm in Lewiston, Idaho. Ann graduated from Central Valley High School in 1969 and attended the University of Idaho for one year. Back in Spokane, she met and married Rodney Shojinaga. In March 1973, they had a son, Jeremy S. Shojinaga at the Ramstein Air Force base in Kaiserslautern, Germany. After returning to the States and moving to Corvallis, Oregon, they had a second son, Ryan M. Shojinaga, in January 1975. In late 1975, Ann and Rod separated and Ann returned to Spokane. She maintained correspondence with Bruce Murray, a friend of theirs in Corvallis. Three years later she moved back to Corvallis and married Bruce in April 1978. In April 1979, she gave birth to Aja Faith Murray, and in August 1980 to Olivia Jo Murray. They moved to Junction City, Oregon where Ann remodeled a house, continued her art work, and built a garden. She was seriously injured in a car accident in March 1984. While recovering, Ann became infatuated with the ideas of doing large-scale art. In addition to raising four children and painting canvases, Ann began painting murals, designing and painting theater stage sets, and was the paint foreperson in two Hollywood movies. In 1993-94, she painted her best-known work, the massive 120-foot by 32-foot “Oregon Trail” Mural. The Springfield Museum Director, Kathy Jensen, said, “The Oregon Trail is a great part of our history and is magnified through Ann’s painting.” Five years later, when Jeremy was in the navy and the other three kids were attending the University of Oregon, Ann and Bruce moved to the Portland area. Ann returned to college and graduated with a B.S. in Psychology from Portland State University. She conducted surveys for the 2000 census and then interviewed farmers for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. After living in urban settings for so long, she truly enjoyed reconnecting with rural Americans. In 2016, she and Bruce moved to Knappa, just east of Astoria, Oregon along the Columbia River. She welcomed the change in environment and pounced all over the house’s massive garden, but her stamina slowly gave out. Medical issues increased in early 2019 and when she received her terminal diagnosis in summer, she and Bruce decided to move back to Portland to be close to the kids and grandkids. Family and friends were all amazed by Ann’s upbeat acceptance of her fate. She had long expressed to her husband that she had already achieved her dream: a happy marriage, four healthy and talented children who get along with the entire family, many years of creative artistic expression, and travel all over the globe. She had long wished not to be an unhealthy burden to others in her 80s and 90s. Her ultimate fate came earlier than preferred, but, she believed, better too soon than too late. Ann’s father died in 1998. She travelled to Spokane frequently for a couple of years to care for her mother who passed away in 2017. Ann is survived by her four siblings, Jane Lutz of Spokane, Tonia Goffinet and Lance Woodruff of the Seattle area. She is also survived by her husband Bruce, children Jeremy (with fiancé Shauna Ahern), Ryan (with wife Jasmine and son Everton Shojinaga), Aja and Olivia (with husband Bennett Pendleton, son Oliver and daughter Frances). They all reside in the Portland area. Immediate family was with Ann as she peacefully left this world. She advises that the truest way to remember her is to re-connect with a friend or family member you haven’t been in touch with for a while. If you wish to make a contribution, keep your money in your pocket. Devote your time and energy into reversing climate change in order to keep our planet livable for future generations. Ann donated her body for medical training and research. A memorial service will take place in Portland this Spring. Write Bruce at bru4murr@gmail.com for details. To see pictures of Ann’s art, visit https://annwoodruffmurray.weebly.com/