Last night I received the devastating news of the death yesterday, from a heart attack, of Jef Murray, my good friend and StAR‘s long-serving artist-in-residence. Jef and his novelist wife Lorraine were very good friends, with whom we have spent many Easters and Thanksgivings and whom our children know as Mr. Jef and Miss Lorraine.

Jef will be known to all readers of StAR as the artist-in-residence who designed the theme-logo for each issue and whose own art often illustrated our pages. He is best known as an artist whose Muse was inspired by the worlds of Narnia and Middle-earth but he was also a very gifted writer, whose short stories exhibited the vividness of a mind alive to the wonders of Creation. He was also a gifted singer, whose elvish incantations enriched the Tolkien specials for EWTN on which he and I collaborated.

Please remember Jef in your prayers, though I can’t help but believe that he has less need of ours as we do of his.

Until we are all reunited in our true Home on the other side of this veil of tears, we will remain in spiritual communion with you, dear friend.