Allison Murray
Class of 1969
After graduating from JRHS I did one year at Loyola, spending most of my time playing cards and drinking beer. My college days ended in 1970 when my father's company was moved to Vancouver because of the political situation in Quebec - although I don't think the public relations people positioned it quite that way!
After wandering aimlessly around Vancouver and Europe for several months I returned to Montreal and joined Air Canada as a flight attendant. After two years and several near-death experiences at the airline, I decided that I was too young to die and moved back to Vancouver in April 1973. I met my husband Tom two weeks after arriving and we've been together ever since: 30 years this year!
Somehow I fell into the commercial insurance business (I don't think anyone ever plans on getting into insurance do they?), starting out as an underwriter and ending up where I am now, as Executive VP & COO of a company called Enterprise Canada Insurance Services Limited. Both of my daughters, Katie (age 21) and Emily (age 18), swear that they are never going to end up in the insurance business but oddly enough, both have worked at it for years now, between school terms, and Katie is now a permanent employee of ECI's! I swear nepotism had nothing to do with that choice. Really.
Emily insists she is going to escape and is making good on her plans by leaving in September to attend McMaster University where she will focus on her ultimate goal of becoming a foreign correspondent. It's sad that she feels she has to leave the country to avoid the insurance business!
We live in Toronto where we've lived for the last nine years. These days we're focused on finding balance in our lives through exercise, sailing, gardening, travel and long walks with the dog - not necessarily all at the same time or in that order, but you know what I mean. The dog isn't always appreciative of our efforts since he's not getting any younger himself. Retirement beckons but I expect that I'll be working at something, if not insurance, for a long time to come: it's too soon to fold up my tent and move into the seniors' home and I have a lot more traveling to do before I'm finished!
Two years ago I was facing surgery and because I like to be organized I decided to track down some old friends to see how they were, in an effort to tie up loose ends just in case I died on the table. Through the amazing power of the internet I found Annabel Lyman, Devon Leguillette and Winkie Patterson, and from there things kind of mushroomed into the reunion committee you see on our home page. And as a bonus, I survived the surgery too!
It's been wonderful reconnecting with all of these great people and I'm looking forward to meeting the rest of you at the reunion.
Regards to all,
Allison