August was a pretty big month for Dr. Harry M. “Hank” Murray. Not only did he celebrate his 68^th birthday, but he did something else even bigger.

 

Last month, on August 26, Murray stepped away from a job he’s been doing for the last 42 years. On that day, Murray officially retired from the business formally known as Murray, Murray, & Groves, which has been a staple in the Bridgeport community since the early 1980s.

 

“Dad (Harry Jr. who passed away in 2008) started the business in 1949 and I joined him in 1979,” said Murray. “Dr. (Gregory) Groves joined us in 1980 and in 1981 we became Murray, Murray, & Groves.”

 

For year, the founder of the business had his office on Main Street. Murray said his dad operated out of the second floor of the Folk Building across the way from the nearby intersection with Center Street.

 

When Murray left late last month, he was the final of the three original names. Murray said Dr. Groves retired three years ago and moved to Myrtle Beach.

 

Today, the practice is Murray Groves & Barnes. Dr. J. William Barnes, Murray said, has worked with the group for about 17 years.

 

“I’m really comfortable that I’m leaving this practice in good hands; dad taught him well,” said Murray with a laugh. “My dad said Greg and I couldn’t run the business alone when he left, and he went out and found Dr. Barnes and brought him in. He’s been like a brother to me, and we’ve worked so well together.”

 

The staff was not the only thing working well together. Murray said dealing with the patients was the best part of the job.

 

“I loved what I did. The patients were great. I think the hardest thing about leaving is knowing you’re not going to see those patients in the manner you’re used to seeing them because they are like friends,” said Murray. “We ask one another about family because those patients are like family. That really made the decision difficult to step down.”

 

The decision did not come overnight. However, Murray said he has been thinking about it for six months. And when something happened on the hiring front, he knew it was time – especially with his 68^th birthday at hand.

 

“A young lady, Alisha Ferrari, wanted to work with us and I realized I would retire, and she could walk right in and have a job,” said Murray. “In this situation, it was a win-win. She’ll do extremely well.”

 

Of course, matching or exceeding Murray’s skill will be one thing. Matching or exceeding the number of patient visits he collected in four-plus decades is something else.

 

“I never really kept count, but I’ve easily seen thousands of patients. If you’re talking about appointments, it may be in the range of 50,000,” said Murray. “Let’s put it this way. It’s a big number.”

 

To get those numbers, people have to come back. To get them to come back, they have to be happy with the eye care they have received.

 

And they came back. They always came back.

 

“It’s gratifying to know you’ve helped someone with something as serious as stopping them from becoming blind to improving their vision or diagnosing an eye issue,” said Murray. “That is another that that has made this such a positive experience.”

 

Of course, no one can put in those many years and see that many people without support on the home front. Murray said he got that in spades.

 

“I’ve been blessed because my family has always been supportive,” said Murray. “I’ve worked long hours, but it never felt long because I enjoyed it eve n when I got a little groggy driving in during the mornings. When that first patient came in, I was ready to go and ready to talk because half the fun is interacting with the patients.”

 

That, of course, is why it was a difficult decision to leave.

 

“It’s been tough telling them goodbye. The one thing I tell them is I’ll see them around,” said Murray. “I’m not leaving the area.”

 

Of course, he will leave for vacations and trips. Some will be with family, and some will be to visit family.

 

“I have three daughters and eight grandkids. Two of the daughters and six grandkids are here and the rest are in San Diego. Once COVID settles down, I’ll be heading that way for sure,” said Murray, who raised the girls with his wife Sherry. “The nice thing is that we’re all very close and it’s another blessing to have a family that is as close as ours.”

 

Murray still has another job. For two more years, he will be sitting on a seat of the Bridgeport City Council.

“We’ve accomplished a lot and I look forward to those two years,” said Murray. “I want to keep this city a special place for everyone living and working here.”

 

Murray said he would not have wanted to be raised or work anywhere else. He said he could not be happier to grow his family and business in Bridgeport.

 

“There’s not really a better place. I watched dad run his business and his family and I wanted to do the same,” said Murray. “He practiced for 54 years and when he’d take a vacation and it was time to go back to work, he was like ‘let’s go.’ He loved it, and that love got passed down to me.

 

“I guess I’m not really leaving a job because you’re not really working if you’re enjoying yourself and having fun,” he continued. “I had a lot of fun.”

 

Thanks to that fun, a lot of other people were able to see plenty of fun as well. Enjoy your retirement Doc, you’ve earned it.

 

Editor's Note: Various photos show Harry M. "Hank" Murray at his workplace, including receiving a retirement cake from his co-workers. He's also shown in his role as City Recorder during a recent Bridgeport City Council meeting.