Marjorie Ann Murdock

Marjorie Murdock, known to many as Ann, was born in Beaumont, Texas, on August 19, 1932, to Irene and Lloyd O’Bannon. She entered eternal life to be with her Lord, husband, and son on August 20, 2026, at the age of 94. Remarkably, she lived to be the exact same age as her late husband.

When she was just four years old, her father died after a brief illness. Thereafter, she was raised by her mother and grandparents in the small town of Lebanon, Illinois, where she developed lifelong relationships with friends and cousins. At age 16, while working as a lifeguard at the Lebanon community pool, she met her future husband, Jim, who was stationed as a pilot at nearby Scott Air Force Base. As the story goes, she swam by him at the pool’s edge, where he asked her "where her motor was," and she asked for his name. After serving him at the canteen—where he purchased Dentyne gum and an ice cream—she turned to a friend and said, “I’m going to marry that man.” She later confessed she thought the name “Marjorie Ann Murdock” would do just fine. Although her mother initially forbade her from dating military men, Ann convinced her to allow Jim to come to dinner. After meeting him, her mother warmed to Jim and allowed the two to see each other with a chaperone.

Ann was awarded a scholarship to Lindenwood College in St. Charles, Missouri, which she attended for one year. Eventually, at age 19, she achieved her goal and married Jim in 1951. Their marriage lasted 71 years until Jim’s death in 2022, and she would be the first to say they shared a wonderful life together.

Jim’s career as an Air Force engineer allowed them to live in many locations. They raised their two sons, Douglas and Jimmy, in Pinellas County, Florida, while Jim worked at nearby MacDill Air Force Base. Later, they moved abroad to the Netherlands and Germany, where Ann served as the chief secretary to an Air Force general at Ramstein Air Force Base. Their time in Europe provided a welcoming home for many stateside visitors and allowed the couple to travel extensively throughout Europe and Africa. They often spoke of the large WWII cemeteries and the heavy cost of many lives. In Europe, they made lifelong friends with fellow coworkers and residents who continued to visit them in later years.

Upon retirement, they settled in Venice, Florida, where they enjoyed a quiet life and attended Christ Venice Methodist Church.

Ann is survived by her son, Jimmy Murdock III (Kathy) of Venice, Florida; Douglas's daughters, Jasmine Murdock-Radpour (Ardeshir) and Lauren Murdock-West (Michael); and two great-granddaughters, Isla and Hazel West, all of California.

Ann was preceded in death by her husband, James Baird Murdock Jr.; her son, Douglas Craig Murdock (Fran) of Cardiff, California; and her brother, Lloyd “Bus” Gordon O’Bannon (Rose).

John 10:28

28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.