Ian Murray was born in London, England, on Aug. 30, 1939, and passed quietly on Aug. 21, 2022, nine days prior to his 83rd birthday. He spent his final weeks surrounded by his family, sharing the love and joy that blessed their lives for so many years. Above all that follows, he was more than a father; he was the rock of our family, inspired all of us to greatness, yet taught us priceless beauty of life.
Ian was born during the early days of WWII and survived the blitz in London as a toddler. This experience had a profound impact on his life, and he maintained a heartfelt interest in WWII and world history. As a teen, he worked with his father in the London transport system, which sparked an interest in engineering. He attended St. Ignatius’s College Preparatory and later earned an engineering degree from the London University program prior to his service with the British military.
His military service began with the Army Parachute Regiment, often known as the “Paras,” but his training expanded to include work with Navy units and signal intelligence. Ian was recruited into the British Special Forces, Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment where he passed the notorious and grueling training evolution located in Wales. During his time in the SAS in the 1960s, he survived multiple deployments to conflict zones in Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
After he concluded his service with the British military, he emigrated to the United States in the early 1970s, where he began his civilian career with Melnor Industries in New Jersey. Ian was quickly recruited to Howmedica Inc., where he climbed the ranks from project engineer to the head of the engineering department. His charismatic and fun-loving demeanor ultimately landed him as the head of the marketing and sales division.
Ian’s continued business successes propelled him to the position of executive vice president with Towers Scientific, an operating room table and medical device production company located in Seattle. After Hexcel Medical purchased Tower Scientific in 1977, he moved with the company to the San Francisco Bay area, becoming Hexcel’s director of Bio-Mechanical Engineering and New Product Marketing. Ian played an integral role in the Hexcel Medical acquisition, and this event prompted the initiation of his entrepreneurial journey.
In 1978, Ian founded Biomedics Inc., a business which created the transcutaneous electro nerve stimulator, known as “TENS,” designed for neural pain relief. During this time, he earned his United States citizenship and met his wife, Robyn. They married and resided in Blackhawk, Calif., in 1985 and started a family a year after.
Ian continued to expand Biomedics, and its internal medical device development attracted the attention of several businesses. One of these companies, Intermedics Inc., asked Ian to establish and run its orthopedic division. When Intermedics moved to Texas, Ian moved back east to Annapolis, Md., where he joined Kirshner Medical Corp. and expanded their orthopedic industries from domestic to international.
Continuing his entrepreneurship journey, Ian and his wife purchased the Kirschner veterinary and manufacturing facility in 1990. They later transitioned the previously veterinary oriented company into orthopedic implants for people and rebranded the business to Osteo-Technology Internationa, Inc. (“OTI”).
In the early 2000s, OTI purchased Implant Technology Inc., a company struggling with lead times and manufacturing processes. Ian leveraged in-house manufacturing to eliminate high costs associated with outside vendors and capitalized on the established distribution network of Implant Technology to successfully integrate the two companies. Shortly after, OTI acquired Advanced Spine and expanded the scope of his orthopedic business to include spinal implants such as spinal discs and pedicle screws. In 2005, OTI sold its assets to Encore Medical, and two years later, he and Robyn relocated to Fernandina Beach, Fla.
Throughout his professional life, Ian made significant contributions to the evolution of orthopedic implants and was instrumental in the finite element modeling and design of femoral stems universally employed today. He was also on the cutting edge of CAD-CAM, Computer Assisted Design Computer Assisted Manufacturing as related to the production of orthopedic implants. Ian published key articles on product design, and in addition to his numerous contributions to the orthopedic community, holds several patents, including a Constrained Prosthetic Knee, Porous Coated Total Hip, Femoral Broach and Modular Neck for Femur Replacement Surgery. His business acumen and passion benefited the lives of many.
Never idle, Ian began writing about his many personal military adventures, and those of his father, shortly after moving to Florida. He published the “Black Orchid Series,” a series of historical narratives based on true events involving the clandestine operations surrounding major conflicts from WWI to Vietnam. Ian’s participation in these exploits remains a secret.
Beyond his personal success, Ian valued authentic connections with others. Throughout his lifetime, Ian established friendships with people across the globe. A few of these unique places include the villages of Arusha and Moshi at the base of Kilimanjaro, the Maldives, Yemen, the Congo, Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), Istanbul, Prague, Osaka, Vietnam, Zurich, Valencia and Lisbon.
A man of the culinary arts, Ian could often be found in the kitchen crafting infused oils, cooking a Spanish paella, frying a rurkey for Thanksgiving or smoking salmon for countless hours on the smoker. He certainly loved a nice glass of Scotch and a cigar while discussing geopolitical strategy, history and current events, but cherished his family most of all.
Ian is survived by his beloved wife, Robyn, who remained by his side for 37 years. They were inseparable at home and in business and cherished the wonderful family and friendships they built throughout their lives together. Ian is also survived by his daughter, Jacqueline; his son, Ryan and wife Beverley; his daughter, Meaghan, and her husband, Thomas Neuberger; and three grandsons, Theo and Henry Neuberger and Xander Murray.
A service will be held on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022, at 3 p.m. in the Amelia Plantation Chapel.
Please share your memories and condolences at www.oxleyheard.com.
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