Nan McMurry Presente

Former WWFOR Organizer Nan McMurry has died.

Dec. 19, 1937 – Jan. 10, 2025

A  memorial is planned in April;  we will post details here when available;  or call 206-789-5565.

Nan was the sole staff person for Western Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation from 1986 to 1999.   in that role she was organizer, spokesperson, activist, archivist, and much more.  Nan excelled in bringing people in, and she could always find a useful task for any willing volunteer.   She stood for many long hours on the cold, windy plaza in front of the Seattle Federal Building as we protested one US intervention or military action after another.  She represented us in many coalitions and traveled throughout the state visiting and encouraging chapters. Nan continued her connection with WWFOR and Seattle FOR long after her employment ended and she was one of 12 people arrested in our Senators’ offices in 2002, trying to prevent the second US war on Iraq.  Nan always seemed fearless and steadfast when confronting authority.

Nan’s life started in rural northern Washington, and she knew the hard work and limited means of a farming family.  She happily visited her brothers’ families in later years to help with the hazelnut harvest.  She married young and had two sons and one daughter, and she remained close to her children and husband after her divorce. 

Nan went back to school and became a social worker, and she often spoke of the encouragement and role modeling by strong women including Jeanne Kohl and Nancy Amidei. 

After many years without any formal religious affiliation, Nan explored the teachings of many faiths. She found a spiritual home in Buddhism.  She became a serious student and practitioner, and a highlight for her was spending time in India where the Buddha lived and wandered.  She loved nature and lived many years near Seattle’s Discovery Park where she walked and volunteered with Native youth programs at the Daybreak Star Cultural Center.  She didn’t need many material things, but she always had a few beautiful and meaningful objects around her living space.

Nan found new love in her later years and became part of a second family with the vibrant, extended family of Dan Morris who died in 2021.  In her last years, Nan had increasing mobility and memory problems, but she remained her sweet self.  Nan appreciated the loving support of her  family.  She died peacefully shortly after suffering a major stroke.

Nan was admired and loved by so many people.  An obituary in the Seattle Times can be read at https://obituaries.seattletimes.com/obituary/nan-mcmurry-1092581173

See below obituary published in the Seattle Times February 2, 2025, and a photo of Nan in the Seattle FOR contingent at the MLK Day march in 2011.