Toni Murray, widow of comedian Jan Murray
Diner
This, too, was a funeral by Army Archerd
There were no police barricades. There were no souvenir sellers. There
were no autograph-seekers. But it too was a funeral of the highest
caliber showbiz. It took us a day to appreciate its emotion-punch
after Tuesday's Michael Jackson grand finale.
Toni Murray, widow of comedian Jan Murray was celebrated and buried at
Hillside Memorial Park, Monday. She died June 28, following a tragic
accident in which she was an innocent. Her death occurred exactly
three years following the death of Jan Murray, her husband of 56
years.
They had both decided on the exact details of the services for each to
follow. They included music "How Deep Is The Ocean" for Toni, " My
Funny Valentine" for Jan. No endless line for celebs -- but 13 family
members of all ages, including the newest great-grandchild, spoke of
Toni.
Love filled the Jewish Cemetery Chapel as Rabbi Cutler invited each
speaker to tell their inimitable version of their love for this
remarkable woman of beauty and warmth.
Jan met Toni when she was a member of the drop-dead beautiful line of
showgirls at New York's famous Copa. They didn't have to dance,
wriggle or be anything but their own beautiful selves. The speakers
finale'd with two -- Jack Carter and Norm Crosby. They had known Toni
and Jan all of their respective married life -- on and off stage. Norm
brought down the house when he said "Meryl Streep is not the greatest
actress of all -- Toni Murray was" because she could laugh at husband
Murray's wisecracks -- over and over, no matter how many times she'd
heard them made. Toni made him feel he was telling fresh, funny
material every time. What a sacrifice for any one to make.
Tuesday's Michael Jackson extravaganza followed Toni's simple farewell
-- but the emotion softly expressed for her could not be denied by the
250 who also bade her farewell -- and thanks for her memories.
Posted: Wed, July 08, 2009, 4:07 PM
Kris Baker
news:223e060f-68c4-45a4...@x3g2000yqa.googlegroups.com...
> http://www.armyarcherd.com/2009/07/this-too-was-a-funeral.html
> This, too, was a funeral by Army Archerd
>
> There were no police barricades. There were no souvenir sellers. There
> were no autograph-seekers. But it too was a funeral of the highest
> caliber showbiz. It took us a day to appreciate its emotion-punch
> after Tuesday's Michael Jackson grand finale.
>
> Toni Murray, widow of comedian Jan Murray was celebrated and buried at
> Hillside Memorial Park, Monday. She died June 28, following a tragic
> accident in which she was an innocent.
I wonder why the accident itself wasn't described.
Talk about a double-whammy of poorly-written blogged articles.
Try to get through this one:
Comedy Legend And Mrs. Jan Murray Hit By A Car
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by Mike Ebrahimi on May 11, 2009 - 9:55:21 PM
LOS ANGELES-On Sunday, May 10, at approximately 11 p.m., comedy icon Jack
Carter and Toni Murray, the late comedian Jan Murray's widow, were standing
on the sidewalk near Pantages Theater waiting for Roxanne, Jack's wife, to
pick them up. As Roxanne pulled up, she saw a car strike her husband. The
driver backed up and hit Toni Murray who was behind the car. The driver
then pulled forward and dragged Murray under the car. The driver was an
18-year-old Caucasian girl who did not have a license or insurance. The
accident occurred near the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Argyle
Avenue.
Police did not arrest the girl, for they feel she followed the proper
procedure, and they determined that this was just an accident. Officer
Rosario Herrera from the LAPD Media Relations department spoke to Canyon
News about the incident. "The girl was not intoxicated or anything of that
sort," said Officer Herrera. "This was just an accident. At this point,
they're (traffic division) not going to do any further investigation."
According to Roxanne Carter, the victims were on the sidewalk at the time of
the collisions.
Carter, who turns 86 on June 23, has suffered head injuries and a lacerated
leg on the same limb in which he recently had knee and hip surgery. He was
released from the hospital after being treated.
Murray's situation is worse. The widow of one of comedy's biggest legends
has suffered a broken back, broken pelvis, internal bleeding and punctured
lungs. She is currently in stable but critical condition.
Canyon News spoke to famed actress and humanitarian Ruta Lee, who is a
friend to both victims and Roxanne Carter, in regards to the incident. "I
feel sorry for everyone involved," says Lee. "Mrs. Carter is simply
traumatized after seeing that incident and Mrs. Murray may not make it."
"I know how thrilling it is for youngsters to get behind the wheel," said
Lee. "They feel invincible and one slip up can maim, injure, or even kill
people. So, don't be so anxious young people.This hurts her [the driver]
and her family as well," said Lee. "It's traumatizing to go through
something like that."
Jack Carter is the creator of "The Jack Carter Show" and starred opposite
Sammy Davis, Jr. in the 1956 musical, "Mr. Wonderful." He was also a
frequent guest on the "Ed Sullivan Show" during the '60s and '70s.
More than 40,000 people die from car accidents every year. More than three
million people suffer from injuries caused by car accidents every year, and
two million of these cases include permanent injuries.