The  Forest Park Forever family was saddened to learn of the death this week of Stephen Michael “Mike” Murray.
  
Mike’s impact on Forest Park and Forest Park Forever was remarkable. A founding member of our organization's Board of Directors, he was among the first to help chart the course for a transformed Forest Park. Later, as Chairman of the Forest Park Advisory Board, Mike worked tirelessly to evaluate and build consensus around the iconic restoration projects that launched the Park’s comeback. Mike’s vision for what would become the Dennis & Judith Jones Visitor and Education Center was particularly inspired — what was a deteriorating field house is now a welcoming destination enjoyed by more than 900,000 visitors each year. 

Mike made an indelible impact on the St. Louis region’s open spaces well beyond Forest Park. A recipient of the East-West Gateway Lifetime Public Service Award, Mike was a longtime Board member of Great Rivers Greenway, Chairman of the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee to the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission and the Missouri representative on the governing board of the Mississippi River Trail. An accomplished cyclist and runner, Mike continually worked to ensure that the concerns of those traveling by bike and on foot were considered at the highest level of a project.
  
As a passionate advocate for green spaces and the community members who use them, Mike has left a lasting legacy on Forest Park and our entire region. We will miss him. 

Lesley S. Hoffarth, P.E. 
Forest Park Forever President and Executive Director