Larry Murray

Vice Admiral (Ret'd) and former Deputy Minister

Mr. Murray has held a number of senior positions in the Canadian Forces and Public Service. 

Following graduation from Carleton University, he served at sea in a variety of ships including as Commanding Officer of HMCS CHALEUR, MIRAMICHI and IROQUOUIS and Commander of the First Canadian Destroyer Squadron.  He subsequently served in a variety of appointments including as Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff, Commander of Maritime Command, Vice Chief of the Defence Staff and finally, Acting Chief of the Defence Staff from October 1996 until September 1997. 

Mr. Murray retired from the Canadian Forces as a Vice Admiral and joined the Public Service as Associate Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Oceans in November 1997.  He was appointed Deputy Minister of Veterans Affairs Canada in August 1999 and Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Oceans from April, 2003 until August 2007, when he retired from the Public Service of Canada.

From August until December 2007, Mr. Murray served as a Member on the Task Force on Governance and Cultural Change in the RCMP. He was a 2008 Trudeau Foundation Mentor and the first Chair of the Veterans Ombudsman Advisory Committee from 2008 until June, 2010. In addition to his role on the Board of the public Policy Forum, he is currently a Member of the National Defence Audit Committee, Chair of the Privy Council Office Audit Committee, President of the Nova Scotia Mainland Division of the Navy League of Canada and honourary Grand president of the Royal Canadian Legion. 

Mr. Murray was invested as an Officer of the Order of Military Merit in 1983 and was promoted to Commander in the Order ten years later.  Following retirement from the Canadian Forces, he received the Vimy Award from the Conference of Canadian Defence Associations in 1998 in recognition of his contribution to the defence and security of Canada.  In May 2001, he was invested in the Order of   St. John for his work in support of Veterans and Canadian Forces personnel.  He served in the honourary position of Colonel Commandant of the Chaplain Branch of the Canadian Forces from 2001 to 2006.  In November 2003 he was awarded the Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation for his contribution to the care and well-being of Veterans and their families. Mr Murray was awarded an Honourary Diploma from the Canadian Coast Guard College in 2010 for his work in support of the Coast Guard.

Mr Murray and his wife, Claudia Buckley, live in Bayswater, NS. They have six children and five grand-children.