Jim Murray, left, with Linda and Michael Bradley.
You gotta love a parade grand marshal who dons a gold yarmulke and tells irreverent stories of how, when asked to arrange former boss Leonard Tose’s funeral on a Sunday in April, responded, “The last Jewish guy buried on Easter got up and left.”
And you gotta love a parade grand marshal who dedicates his honor to his friend, the late Bishop Joseph McFadden, a former chaplain of the parade. And starts to choke up when talking about his father.
That’s Jim Murray, former general manager of the Philadelphia Eagles (when they were owned by Leonard Tose)who helped found the Ronald McDonald House Charities, which provides a homelike atmosphere for the families of critically ill children near where their children are hospitalized.
He was the star of Thursday’s annual party at the studios of CBS3, which is in its 11th year of broadcasting the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which Murray will lead on March 16. Members of the St. Patrick’s Ring of Honor, including longtime parade host, meteorologist Kathy Orr, were also introduced at the event that featured music by members of the Boyce family (Blackthorn’s John and Michael Boyce, their brother Brian, and sister, Karen Boyce McCollum) and the McDade Cara Dancers.
We were there and took loads of photos.
