VIDALIA — The Concordia Parish Police Jury passed a resolution Monday evening in memory of their Homeland Security director and Louisiana State Rep. Dist. 21 candidate Guy Murray, who unexpectedly died of a heart attack on July 22 at the age of 40.

When police jurors received the news last Monday about Murray, they postponed their regularly scheduled meeting for a week, giving each member time to mourn their lost friend, Jury President Jimmy Wilkinson said.

“Guy played a heavy role in the Parish with flood prevention, and sandbagging,” Wilkinson said. “… There’s nothing that I have asked Guy to do that he didn’t make happen. … We always knew each other, but when we appointed him as Homeland Security director he became a close friend. … He’s done an outstanding job for this parish, and he will be dearly missed. Everyone is just stunned by this loss.”

A resolution in recognition and appreciation of Murray passed unanimously Monday, which acknowledged Murray’s services to the Concordia Parish community.

“Mr. Murray was an outstanding citizen of Concordia Parish and served as the Director of Homeland Security for the Concordia Parish Police Jury,” the resolution states. “… Mr. Murray will be greatly missed by the Police Jury and the employees of this Parish as he inspired the constituents of our parish with his warm, friendly disposition, as he was always smiling, and ready to lend a helping hand.”

The resolution further stated Murray was “a faithful member of the Vidalia First Baptist Church and was highly devoted to his wife, three children and many friends throughout Concordia Parish for his public service and work. …

“Therefore be it resolved by the Concordia Parish Police Jury in regular session convened, that this resolution be recorded in the official minutes of this meeting so that an expression of the respect and esteem for Mr. Murray, which is shared by the members of the Concordia Parish Police Jury and the citizens of Concordia Parish may be perpetuated in the parish archives.”

In addition to his service as the Homeland Security director, Murray was active in helping the parish respond to emergencies, such as flooding and severe weather and served as project manager for the emergency flood protection services that protected the levees, the Vidalia Riverfront area and the town’s groundwater supply.

He was also a project manager at the civil engineering and land-surveying firm of Bryant Hammett & Associates in Ferriday and served for three years on the Concordia Parish Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors and was voted 2014 “Male Concordian of the Year.”