William Patrick Murray, of Quincy, passed away suddenly on August 25th, 2026. Brother of Mary Power of North Quincy. Will is predeceased by his parents, Patrick and Maureen (Teahan) Murray, and his brother, Daniel. Will grew up in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston, before moving to North Quincy in 1969.

From a very young age, Will Murray began his long journey to becoming a professional writer. He more than achieved that dream, publishing dozens of original novels, as well as many short stories and magazine articles on a wide range of subjects.

As a boy, growing up in the Jamaica Plain section of Boston, he became a fan of comic books, particularly Spider-man and the other Marvel heroes. In his teens, he discovered the long ago pulp magazine characters such as Doc Savage and the Shadow. He began collecting old comic books and pulps, researching their history and writing articles about them for fan magazines. He wrote short stories, many of them influenced by the pulps.

As a result of his knowledge of the pulps and his contacts with the original publishers over the years, he obtained permission to write a series of new, original Doc Savage novels. The new books sold well and were well received by critics and longtime fans. He had succeeded in his lifelong dream to bring his boyhood idol back to life.

Murray was also an aficionado of the horror fantasy writer H. P. Lovecraft, researching the author's career and publishing commentaries on the writer's work. In 1990, Murray, together with other devoted fans of Lovecraft, raised funds to erect a monument and plaque honoring Lovecraft on the grounds of the John Hay Library of Brown University, Providence. He continued his association with Lovecraft, appearing regularly at the Necronomicon (an event celebrating Lovecraft's work) as a guest speaker.

Early in his career, Murray interviewed the authors of the popular paperback adventure series The Destroyer. He subsequently wrote a companion book based on the series and assisted the writers in background research for their stories. He was eventually offered the assignment to ghost write the series, producing forty novels. His work is still highly sought by fans of the series.

He also contributed to many books and comics series published by Marvel comics, including short prose stories and introductions to their collections of reprinted material. Marvel later released a comics series based on the Destroyer, with Murray as the logical choice to write the stories.

At about this time, Marvel asked Murray to contribute a comics story using their Iron Man character. Going above and beyond, Murray invented his own character, Squirrel Girl, to guest star, inspired by his close friend Doreen Greeley and her fondness for animals. By a stroke of luck, the story was illustrated by Steve Ditko, the same artist who drew the early adventures of Spider-man. Not well known at the time, Squirrel Girl went on to become a cult phenomenon, appearing in her own series and guest starring in other Marvel titles. Seeing his creation appearing alongside Spider-man and his other childhood favorites was one of Murray's proudest achievements.

He also worked regularly as a journalist for Starlog magazine, often covering the making of major films, including Zorro and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. He greatly enjoyed traveling around the world to cover the productions on location, experiencing far away locales and sampling unusual cuisine.

Murray relished any opportunity to travel and discover new experiences. When at home, he was always on the lookout for anything new and different, particularly new restaurants and stores with unusual foods. He might purchase something unfamiliar, not because he thought he might like it, but just because it was different.

He had an interest in metaphysical subjects, becoming a skilled reader of Tarot Cards, as well as being trained in mediumship and remote viewing. As his writing career flourished, he continued to provide his services when requested. He also published a book on the subject.

Murray continued to contribute articles on the comics and popular culture to fan magazines such as Alter Ego and Retrofan, where he had a monthly column, often covering classic television and cartoon shows. He has also been a frequent guest at Comic Cons and events dedicated to the pulps, and has received numerous awards for his writing and contributions to the medium.

Services for Will will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to World Central Kitchen, PO Box 96538, Washington, DC 20090. See www.Keohane.com for online condolences.