Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HR0275

HR0275 LRB104 13258 LAW 25454 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Malik T. Murray of Chicago, who passed away on April 19, 2025; and

WHEREAS, Malik Murray, the son of the Honorable Leonard Murray and Linda Diane Gray Murray, was born in 1974; he was raised in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood, and he had recently become a resident of Chicago's West Town neighborhood; he attended St. Philip Neri Elementary School and graduated from Saint Ignatius College Prep in 1992, where he was a standout player on the men's basketball team, being named one of Chicago Tribune's Athletes of the Week in 1991 and averaging 20.1 points and 9.5 rebounds per game; he earned his bachelor's degree in finance from the Driehaus College of Business at DePaul University in 1996, where he was a four-year letter winner on the men's basketball team and served as the team's seventh man during his senior year; and

WHEREAS, Malik Murray interned at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange during his undergraduate studies, introducing him to a career in finance; after graduating from DePaul, he worked for Bank One Brokerage for eight years, where he eventually served as a broker for its international exchange-traded products; he earned his MBA in Finance from the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at DePaul University in 2004; that same year, he joined Ariel Investments, a global asset management firm based in Chicago, where he eventually rose to the position of senior vice president and head of business development and institutional marketing, and he was noted for always putting his clients and colleagues first and for inspiring excellence in others; during his career, he also worked as a referee for the NBA Development League, now known as the G League; and

WHEREAS, Malik Murray spent his career giving back; he served on the Saint Ignatius College Prep Board of Directors from 2017 to 2023, where he was the founding chair of the School Culture Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee and served as a mentor to many players, students, and coaches; he served on the DePaul University Board of Trustees beginning in 2023, where he was a member of the Finance and Investment Committee and co-vice chair of the Athletics Committee; he established the Linda Diane Gray Murray Excellence Through Education, Equity and Inclusion Endowment to help subsidize tuition for deserving students at Saint Ignatius College Prep and created the Malik T. Murray Endowed Scholarship for Excellence in Basketball and Finance at DePaul University; he also held leadership roles with the National Association of Securities Professionals; and

WHEREAS, Malik Murray possessed a fiercely competitive, yet abundantly kind spirit, and he was known for his loyalty, generosity, integrity, and commitment to service; outside of work, he was an avid golfer and enjoyed traveling; he will especially be remembered as a generous man who lived with deep purpose, lifted others, and built lasting community wherever he went; and

WHEREAS, Malik Murray was preceded in death by his mother; and

WHEREAS, Malik Murray is survived by his partner, Elizabeth "Liz"; his father; his sisters, Nubia Murray Davis and Kai Murray; and his brother, Kamau Murray; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Malik T. Murray and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Malik Murray as an expression of our deepest sympathy.