Murray Harrington Dubbin

Murray H. Dubbin was born in Miami in 1929, and his parents and grandparents are acknowledged as among the city’s pioneering families. Murray attended Riverside Elementary, Shenandoah Junior High, and Miami High, before graduating from the University of Florida undergraduate school in 1949, and law school in 1951 at the age of 21.

Murray met the love of his life, Helene Shonbrun of Tampa, at the University of Florida. They were married in 1951, as soon as he graduated from law school, and moved to Miami where Murray began his law practice. Their deep and enduring love for each other was inspirational, and they celebrated their 71st anniversary on July 1, 2022. Even after 71 years of marriage, they always held hands and kissed, whatever the occasion.

Murray set an amazing example to all of his sons – and their spouses -- of hard work, love of family, and a commitment to helping others. He and Helene were always available with sage and honest insights about life and parenthood. They also had an infinite wellspring of love for their 10 grandchildren, and 6 great-grandchildren. Murray was always ready with a humorous aphorism, which his grandchildren called “Papa Murray-isms.”

Murray practiced law at the firm of Dubbin, Schiff, Berkman, & Dubbin. In 1963, he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives at the age of 33. Over the next twelve years, he played an important role in modernizing Florida’s government. He was instrumental in creating Florida International University; drafting and passing the 1968 Florida Constitution; and enacting open government, law enforcement, education, and judicial reforms. Between 1970-1974, Murray served as the Chairman of the all-important House Rules Committee.

In addition to the well-documented and not-easily-won accomplishments of the Legislature during those years, Murray was very proud of the spirit of respect and cooperation among legislators, despite their difference in political affiliation or personal backgrounds.

After Murray retired from the Legislature in 1974, Governor Reuben Askew appointed him to the Board of Regents of the State University System, where he led the effort to make FIU a full four-year university. He rose to be Chairman of the Board of Regents, with his proudest accomplishment there being the support and advancement of gender, ethnic, and geographic diversity in the State University System.

Murray was widely respected by people across the state and across generations. From his days in the Legislature, on the Board of Regents, and as Miami Beach and North Bay Village City Attorney, his colleagues, even those who did not agree with him politically, spoke about their respect for his wisdom, integrity, and gentlemanly manner. He has been described as “a wonderful man . . . wise, humble, always full of good cheer . . . with a twinkle in his eye and a kind word, . . . quiet and effective . . . he made things happen that no one believed were possible, without needing to take credit.”

Murray was also a tremendous source of support for Helene, who married Murray after her sophomore year at the University of Florida. She finished her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at FIU in social work while being a fantastic mother to four sons. She worked for great institutions such as Fellowship House and New World School of the Arts, and served as the President of the Patrons of the Museum of Science, the Theodore Gibson Foundation, and the Jewish Museum of Florida, over a 30-year span, with Murray’s full support.

In 1986, Murray and Helene joined with about 20 other Floridians, led by Marcia Zerivitz, in the Florida Jewish History “Mosaic” Project. This became the award-winning Jewish Museum of Florida (JMOF), now located in the historic Beth Jacob synagogue on Washington Avenue in South Miami Beach and merged with FIU. Helene served as President of the Museum for two terms in the early 2000s. Murray was the founding Treasurer, and served in several other offices over the years.

Murray is survived by his wife Helene, and their sons Cliff (Ann), Sam (Lori), David (Susan), and Eric (Susan). He was the cherished “Papa Murray” to grandchildren Adam, Stephanie (Brett), Rob (Sandy), Jeff (Marta), Andy, Greg (Jen), Karen (Reed), Kellianne, Ricky, and Justin, and six great-grandchildren. He is also survived by sisters Bonnie Askowitz and Robin Yablonsky.

Murray’s sage wisdom, the twinkle in his eye, and his enduring love and strength, will be deeply missed. Memories of Murray will be a blessing to his family, friends, and community.

Funeral services will be held on Sunday, October 9, at 1:00 PM at Temple Beth Sholom, 4144 Chase Avenue, Miami Beach. The service can be live-streamed on the temple website at https://www.tbsmb.org/watch.

The graveside portion of the service will be livestreamed at:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89798866453?pwd=NEZSb3EyWXA3eVNobE5LS24wdzNRQT09

Meeting ID: 897 9886 6453

Passcode: 953318

The family would be grateful for donations in his name to the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU, at https://jmof.fiu.edu/.