Charles J. Murray Jr.

Charles ("Chaz") J. Murray Jr., 59, passed away on Thursday, April 14th, 2022, surrounded by the ones he loved. Chaz was born November 28th, 1962, to Charles J. Murray Sr. and Lillian Murray in Syracuse, NY.

Chaz was preceded in death by two wonderful step-fathers - Pat Deferio and Ed McMahon.

He is survived by his parents, Charles Sr. and Lillian Murray; Son, Charles "Chaz" Murray and wife Ryann; Daughter, Savannah Tassone; Sister, Colleen Murray and wife Maria Berrigan; and longtime partner Meta Crysler as well as her two kids and 3 grandchildren.

For most of his life, Chaz followed his passion to work with his hands and ran a business as a general contractor. He worked alongside his late step-father Pat DeFerio for many years building various aspects of homes and carried on that business himself after Pat's passing.
Chaz was a larger-than-life personality. He had a smile that would light up dark days, and a presence that would always be felt and heard as he was most certainly the loudest in the room. Truly the life of any party, Chaz loved a social gathering. He was his happiest when surrounded by loved ones and friends. He had a passion for music of all kinds. He enjoyed live shows and if you ever showed up to his home on a warm summer day you'd think you were at one. You would always find him tinkering around his yard or garage with music blasting so loud it could be heard 2 counties over. Never shying away from the spotlight, we will all be able to close our eyes and envision him on a stage somewhere singing his favorite karaoke song "Some Kind of Wonderful."

Chaz lived with a remarkable zest for life and every season it would bring. At Christmas time, his favorite holiday, you could find him decorating every inch of the house or searching high and low around a tree farm for the perfect Blue Spruce. He'd spend over a month watching Hallmark Christmas movies and searching for the perfect gifts for everyone so that, come Christmas day, no one went without. There wasn't anyone who found more joy in gift giving than Chaz. He brought that same joy and hope to springtime- at the first chance of good weather, he would be preparing the home and yard for summer gatherings. He was quick to clean the pool, plant his flowers and get the grill ready for a summer cookout.

While most will remember Chaz the socialite, his other passion was always the outdoors. An avid hunter and fisherman, Chaz found a great deal of peace in a tree stand deer hunting or at the edge of a stream on opening day of trout fishing. His first true love was the Adirondack Mountains. Spending much of his childhood up there, he could take you around the roads with his eyes closed, telling stories of every lake, pond and mountain.

As a man with the biggest heart, he showered all those he cared about with love, but had a special place in his heart for the children in his life. He was a caring father to his own two children, Chaz and Savannah, both of which he was tremendously proud of. He would often tell people that they were his greatest accomplishment and reason for living. He was a father figure to his long-time partner Meta Crysler's children, Kamryn and Kailyn, and the world's greatest "Papa" to Kailyn's 3 children, Lacey, Liyah and Brailyn. While all the grand babies meant the world to him, the first, little Lacey, became the light of his life. Always wanting to be like her Papa, the two of them were inseparable. Chaz often referred to her as his angel on Earth and her love carried him through some of the darkest times of his life. Children had a way of lighting him up like no other and bringing out his softest side, so to say he was also excited about the upcoming birth of his son Chaz and wife Ryann's first child would be an understatement. He spent his final months buying every toy and Dolphins onesie he could find on Amazon insisting that on his watch, his grandchild would never go without. Although he will no longer be there physically, we know that all of us have an angel watching over us and he will not miss a single moment.

Calling hours will be held on Saturday, April 23rd, 2022 from 11:00am – 1:00pm at New Comer, N. Syracuse, 705 N. Main St with a service to follow


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