LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Fran Murray upon the occasion of being
named Grand Marshal of the 13th Annual Rockville Centre St. Patrick's
Parade, to be held on March 21, 2009

WHEREAS, Saint Patrick's Day is a time for people of all nationalities
and generations to assemble and celebrate the rich culture and heritage
of the Irish people throughout these United States; and
WHEREAS, A Saint Patrick's Day parade reflects and records the ongoing
history of the United States and Ireland, and highlights the many
contributions and historical accomplishments of the Irish community in
this diverse land; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Fran Murray
upon the occasion of being named Grand Marshal of the 13th Annual Rock-
ville Centre St. Patrick's Parade, to be held on March 21, 2009; and
WHEREAS, Born and raised in Rockville Centre, New York, Fran Murray is
one of eight children of former longtime Mayor Eugene Murray; after
graduating from Cardinal Farley Military Academy, he attended the
University of Dayton and is currently the President of F.X. Murray
Cleaning Services of Rockville Centre; and
WHEREAS, An active member of the Rockville Centre Fire Department for
over 36 years, Fran Murray is a member of Floodlight and Rescue Co. No.
1 and also served as an Emergency Medical Technician; and
WHEREAS, Fran Murray is the 2008 Co-Chairman of the Environmental and
Beautification Committee for Rockville Centre and has been involved in
the Rockville Centre Community Fund as a member of the Golf Committee
for over 20 years; he is also a longtime member of the RVC Council of
the Knights of Columbus, Knights of Holy Sepulchre and the Friendly Sons
of St. Patrick's of Long Island; and
WHEREAS, The Co-Chairman of the St. Agnes Parish Celebration 1982,
Fran Murray served on the St. Agnes Cathedral School Board and was a
member of the Celebration Committees for its 75th and 90th Anniver-
saries; he is also a member of the St. Agnes Father's Club and received
its St. Thomas Aquinas Award in 2001; and
WHEREAS, In addition, Fran Murray has been a member of the Friends of
Mercy Board of Sponsors for more than 30 years, serving as its President
in 1999, and is a member of the Board of Governors of Mercy Medical
Center, where he served as Chairman of the Community Relations and
Development Committee for more than 10 years, and served as Chairman of
the St. Patrick's Day Dinner in 1995 and 2000; and
WHEREAS, A recipient of the Long Island Association Theodore Roosevelt
Award, Fran Murray is a committee member of the Long Island Hospitality
Group, which raises money for the March of Dimes and Children's
Diabetes, and also served on a committee that raised funds for the Long
Island Children's Museum's move to a larger facility; and
WHEREAS, With him throughout have been his wife, Barbara, and their
five children, Megan, Francis, Susan, Deidre and Terence, and two grand-
children, Connor and Shannon, all of whom feel privileged to be a part
of his life and rejoice in his many achievements; and
WHEREAS, St. Patrick's Day is not, as many believe, a celebration of
the Patron Saint of Ireland's birth but of his death; and
WHEREAS, It was Pope Celestine I who named him Patricus, and sent him
to Ireland where he tangled with the Druids over religious beliefs, and
where his efforts to convert the Irish to the Catholic faith were untir-
ing, as seen today in the significant observance of God in Irish life;
and

WHEREAS, In every walk of life, in the arts, in the sciences, in the
political world, in every manifestation of the human spirit, the Irish
people have excelled; and
WHEREAS, No nation on earth has sent to the shores of America a people
more spiritual than the Irish; throughout the ages, they have left their
cares forgotten among the lilies; from the mode and texture of that
endowment, the cathedrals and colleges of our nation were built, a
heritage largely formed, our American character greatly forged; and
WHEREAS, Each year as we honor St. Patrick, whose life mirrored a deep
and abiding example of the challenges of sainthood, we are mindful of
the history of the Irish people and their struggle against oppression,
religious intolerance and political, social and economic barriers; and
WHEREAS, The St. Patrick's Day Parade celebrates the spirit, purity
and strength of the Irish Culture and its fine traditions; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when individ-
uals of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our atten-
tion, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of
the great State of New York; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is pleased to have this opportunity to
express its highest admiration for Fran Murray and to wish him continued
success in all of his future endeavors; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Fran Murray upon the occasion of being named Grand Marshal of the
13th Annual Rockville Centre St. Patrick's Parade, to be held on March
21, 2009; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Fran Murray.