Nancy Ann (Colabella) Murray

It is with a sense of profound loss that the family of Nancy A. Murray, 70, of Warwick, Rhode Island, announces that she passed away peacefully at home on Monday August 18, 2025. She was the wife of Edmund F. Murray, Jr. Born in Providence, she was the daughter of the late Michael and Violet (Corbiel) Colabella.

Besides her husband, she is survived by her children Alyssa Rae Cardi and her fiancé Benjamin Schwalb and Danielle Fagan and her husband Robert Fagan. She also leaves her two precious grandchildren, Mia Fagan and Samantha Fagan. She is also survived by her sister Judy Colabella and her husband Walter Palen and her brother Michael Colabella and his wife, Virginia (King) Colabella. She leaves five nephews: Michael, Daniel, Ben, Jeffrey, and Colin and her six nieces: Shannon, Kerri, Colleen, Tara, Kayla, and Ellie. Nancy took pride in her 40 plus year career in addiction counselling.

She graduated from Providence College, received her master’s degree and CAGS from Rhode Island College. She was well known and well respected in the field of addiction counseling. She was an adjunct professor at Rhode Island College and Johnson and Wales University, teaching masters level courses for 16 years. She was also on the boards of national, regional and state addiction services organizations. Nancy’s last six years of employment were with the Rhode Island Lottery, as its Chief of Gambling Addiction Services. She was also a long-time member and past president of the Rhode Island Council on Problem Gambling. Although Nancy had many accomplishments in her career, her true love was her family. Her love for her children and grandchildren was apparent to anyone who knew her. They were also the primary beneficiaries of her cooking and knitting talents. It was not unusual for Nancy to gather the women in the family and bake thousands of cookies for Christmas. She also made a point to knit a blanket for each of her grandnephews and grandnieces.

Visitation will be held Thursday, August 21, 2025 from 4:00-7:00 PM in URQUHART-MURPHY Funeral Home, 800 Greenwich Avenue, Warwick, Rhode Island. Relatives and friends are kindly invited to a Mass of Christian Burial on Friday August 22, 2025 at 10:00 AM in St. Gregory the Great Church, 360 Cowesett Road, Warwick, RI. Burial will follow where she will be laid to rest at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, East Providence.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to The Rhode Island Council on Problem Gambling for the Nancy A. Murray Community Impact Scholarship, 15 Messenger Drive, Warwick, RI 02888.

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