Remembering Murray Barbash, 1925–2013
Maurice “Murray” Barbash, z’’l, Chairman of NAF-IOLR, passed away on Wednesday, March 13, 2026 in Long Island, NY, after complications from heart bypass surgery. He was 88 and carried the title of NAF Chairman Emeritus.
He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Lillian; his children Cathy, Susan and Shepard; and his grandchildren Emma, Ani, Jonah, Lydia, Sam and Eddie. Funeral services were held on Friday, March 15 at the Bay Shore Jewish Center in Bay Shore, NY, where a large gathering of friends and admirers joined Murray’s family in honoring his memory.
The obituary described Murray as a “Loving husband, father and grandfather, visionary builder, conservationist, Mozart lover, avid skier, loyal friend, devoted to the welfare of others.”
From 1988 to 2007 — 19 years — he led the North American Friends of IOLR. During that time he was central to securing material support for many IOLR research programs, both through his own contributions and by encouraging fellow NAF members to give.
NAF-IOLR plans to establish a project in Murray’s memory. Details are still being finalized and more information will be shared soon. To learn more about Murray’s life and remarkable contributions, read the article by Long Island journalist Karl Grossman, published in the Times of Israel.
Murray was a wonderful, inspiring man — a champion of Israel and of IOLR. He will be deeply missed. May his memory be for a blessing.
Read the Times of Israel articleNews & Events
- Support Us on Giving Tuesday 2016 – November 29th, 2016
- IOLR Coral Expert Quoted on Gulf Restoration – June 8th, 2016
- JNF-USA Partners with IOLR on Coral Restoration Research – March 9th, 2016
- Introducing IOLR’s New Scientists – March 1st, 2016
- IOLR Prof. Buki Rinkevich Addresses JNF Sustainability Summit – April 28th, 2013
- IOLR Mourns Loss of Prof. Tom Berman in Galapagos Islands – April 25th, 2013
- Murray Barbash, Long-Time Chairman of NAF-IOLR, Gone at Age 88 – March 22nd, 2013
- NCM’s Dr. Hanna Rosenfeld Selected to Light Torch for Israel Independence Day 64 – April 24th, 2012
- NAF 2011 Annual Meeting in NY – November 7th, 2011
Explore More
- Home
- Who We Are
- Contact
- Revealing the Red-Tide-Like Phenomenon in Lake Kinneret
- Invisible Particles Foul Up Desalination Plants
- A Generic Integrated Mariculture System for the Mediterranean & Red Sea
- Underwater Gardening – Saving Coral Reefs
- Research Updates
- Research Updates Archive
Murray Barbash’s years of leadership left a lasting mark on the North American Friends of IOLR and the research it supports. This page gathers the remembrance of his life, his family and the tribute paid to him, along with related news and ways to explore more about IOLR’s work.