Nancy S. Murray, 62, Was Writer, Literary Agent

Nancy Steinmetz Murray of Greenwich, Conn., and Edgartown, a literary agent and travel writer, died Sunday, June 1, at the Greenwich Hospital after a long battle with cancer. Her husband and three sons were at her side.

A summer visitor to the Island since 1961, Mrs. Murray was a familiar figure in Edgartown, daily seen riding her vintage bike, her signature straw hat with its navy ribbon billowing behind, while going to and from the Chappaquiddick Beach Club where she was a longtime member.

When not on her beloved Island, she balanced dual careers as a literary agent with the Fifi Oscard Agency in New York city and traveling the world as a journalist, sharing a byline with her husband, Stanley H. Murray. Their work was regularly syndicated by the Los Angeles Times Syndicate, The International Herald Tribune, the Washington Times and countless other newspapers and magazines. The Murrays co-authored a book on the history of The Pioneering Swiss Hoteliers.

Born in New York city on Sept. 17, 1941, she was the daughter of Fernande Oscard Steinmetz of Riverside, Conn., and West Tisbury and the late Harold M. Steinmetz. Mrs. Murray was graduated from Greenwich High School in 1959 and went on to attend Bennington College, Le Sorbonne, and was graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1963. During her college years, Mrs. Murray appeared in numerous summer stock productions at both the Westport Country Playhouse and the Southbury Playhouse, as well as serving as an assistant to the late Joe Mielziner, the theatrical set designer.

Upon graduating, Mrs. Murray was the assistant dean of women at Finch College, and later a senior editor at WHERE Magazine.

In Greenwich, Mrs. Murray served on the board of the Stanwich Congregational Church Nursery School, the Brunswick School Parents' Association, where she chaired the Fair and Fashion Show; the Indian Harbor Yacht Club Junior Sailing Committee and the Flynn Gallery of the Greenwich Library.

In addition to her mother, she is survived by her husband of 40 years, Stanley H. Murray, sons Graham Murray of Stamford, Conn., Shepherd Murray of Cos Cob, Conn., and Ian Murray of Old Greenwich, Conn.; two grandsons, Cooper and Tucker, and a brother, Eric Steinmetz of Puilly, Switzerland.

A private interment was held at the New Westside Cemetery in Edgartown on June 3. A service celebrating her life was held on Friday, June 13, at the Riverside Yacht Club in Greenwich.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that all do a good deed for someone else in her memory, or if they wish, make a contribution to the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Nashoba Valley Rescue, care of Tony Hurley, 1 Sawmill Way, Georgetown, MA 01833-1716.

Funeral arrangements were made by the Leo Gallagher Funeral Home in Greenwich and Chapman, Cole and Gleason in Oak Bluffs.