Muriel Munroe Hermes

Jun 27, 1931 -

Nov 12, 2022

Longtime Anchorage, Alaska, resident Muriel Sandifer Munroe Hermes, 91, passed away from complications due to Alzheimer's on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, while residing at Providence Extended Care Cottages.

Muriel was born in New York City and was raised in Silver Spring, Md. She attended Blair Montgomery High School in Maryland, graduating in 1949. She was the only child of Durward and Irene Sandifer. Her father was a professor of political science with a long career in the U.S. Department of State and Foreign Service. His career afforded her the opportunity for extensive travel and living abroad. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University in 1953. She then attended the Radcliffe Management Training Program, graduating in 1954. She married John Vinton Munroe Jr. of Dover, Mass., in 1956. He served in the army after graduating from Harvard in 1952, and was stationed at Ft. Richardson, Alaska. He returned with his bride, Muriel, to begin their life together in Alaska. They raised four children and John passed away suddenly in 1980. Muriel remarried, in 1984, to Richard "Dick" Hermes.

In the 66 years Muriel lived in Alaska she touched many lives. Immediately upon moving to Alaska she became a member of the Anchorage Woman's Club. She also joined the League of Women Voters, whereupon she served three years on the board and continued to volunteer time with them for 40 more years. While raising her four children, she immersed herself as a lead volunteer in whatever activities her children pursued. This led her to many rewarding experiences with the SPA Swim Club, the Anchorage Aquanaut Swim Club, Alyeska Ski Club, pioneering years of Mighty Mites, Bartlett Olympic swimming pool development, Anchorage School District Budget Advisory Committee, Alaska Heart Association and the Anchorage Friends of the Loussac Library.

In her spare time she enjoyed her friends immensely. For over 50 years she gathered weekly with an amazing group of women to play bridge. They shared their personal triumphs and struggles all while debating the current political environment. Nothing could stop these ladies from having "Bridge Wednesday" playing well into their eighties, a tradition of friendship we could all learn from. Along with her years of unending volunteer service, she enjoyed skiing the slopes of Alyeska, playing tennis at the Alaska Club, traveling back East to see family and, in her latter years, throwing the ball for her dearly loved Border Collie, "Roxy."

Muriel was preceded in death by John Munroe, her first husband; and Richard Hermes, her second husband. She is survived by her four children, Kim (Vaughan) Duggar of Homer, Alaska, Mark (Amy) Munroe of Bloomington, Ind., Martha (Jon) Layzer of Seattle, Wash., and Susan (Bill) Dubinsky of Anchorage; two and stepchildren, Kurt and Christa Hermes. She was blessed with 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. The family would like to thank the staff of the Talkeetna Cottage at Providence Extended Care for their love and kindness to her in her final years.

The family will gather in the summer of 2023 to spread her ashes behind Sleeping Lady to join her first husband.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Alzheimer's Resource of Alaska.