Retired U.S. Navy Captain Roger P. Murray, 86, of Tallahassee, Florida, died March 7, 2026, after a prolonged illness.

He was born in Champaign, Illinois on Nov. 7, 1939, to the late James R. Murray and Mary E. Murray. He was a long-time resident of Pensacola, Florida, before moving to Tallahassee in 2015.

He was qualified in both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, and commanded four different aviation and training organizations, both at sea and ashore. He made 15 helicopter rescues during his 32-year career. He was at one time the program coordinator for naval helicopter programs on the Chief of Naval Operations (Air Warfare) staff. He began his naval career in 1959 at NAS Pensacola as a Naval Aviation Cadet. He and his wife, Ann, moved to the Pensacola area immediately after his last active duty command tour in 1991 and remained there until 2015.

He has been a trustee of the Naval Helicopter Association for many years and was on their board of directors for nine years. He received the NHA National Service Award in 1990. He is a graduate of the University of West Florida, where he was a member of the charter class. Captain Murray worked for several years in the Development Department of the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation in Pensacola. He is a past president of the Pensacola Council of the Navy League, the past chairman of the Pensacola USO and has been on the supervisory committee of a large credit union.

He is survived by his son, retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Steve Murray (Beth), of Tallahassee, Florida; sister, Lynne Waidler (Rick), of Boulder, Colorado; and brother, Tom Murray (Marta), of Lakewood, Colorado; he has one grandchild, Army 2nd Lt. Ryan Murray (Kaitlyn), of Sarasota, Florida.

He was a life-long member of the First United Methodist Church in Pensacola.

Visitation will be held from 11:30 am until 12:30 pm, with the Funeral Service beginning at 12:30 pm on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel.

Committal service will follow at Barrancas National Cemetery, NAS Pensacola, with Military Honors being accorded by the US Navy.