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Who was Ed Murray? Bill Murray announces eldest brother's death, Internet pays tribute to 'Caddyshack' inspiration

Ed had even received a special acknowledgment credit in the 1980 comedy, 'Caddyshack'

Bill Murray and his family took a big hit on Monday, November 23, as the family announced the loss of the eldest sibling of the Murrays family, Ed Murray. The announcement was made on late Monday evening by the Instagram handle of Murray's signature clothing brand, William Murray Golf.

"It’s with the heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of the legend Ed Murray," read an announcement posted to Instagram by his apparel company. "Named after the family patriarch, it was Ed who introduced the Murray family to this wonderful game of golf—by way of caddying at Indian Hills Country Club—at the age of 10, no less. (They don’t make ‘em like that anymore.)" the message continued.

"Ed was the recipient of the Evans Scholarship back in 1963 while attending Northwestern University—a scholarship awarded to golf caddies—a family storyline which served as inspiration for the Danny Noonan character in ‘Caddyshack’ when Brian Doyle-Murray co-wrote that iconic screenplay." "It was an honor for all of us to get to know Ed and to spend time with him over the past half-decade as we’ve built this brand with the Murray family—and his loss is a hole that will never be filled," the statement concluded. "Thank you for always being so gracious, Ed. Our hearts are with his lovely family. Rest in paradise, to a true family man and a gentle, sweet soul. May we honor your memory from this day forward."

The film, 'Caddyshack' was inspired by him, and was directed by Harold Ramis and starred Bill Murray, Michael O'Keefe, Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield and Ted Knight. Ed received a special acknowledgment credit in the 1980 comedy. He was also seen in the 2009 TV documentary about the movie, 'Caddyshack: The Inside Story'.

In a 2015 interview with Santa Maria Sun, Ed talked about his love for golfing as he said, "I've been playing since I was 8 years old," Ed told the outlet. "You learn about a person on a golf course; you learn about their competitiveness, their integrity, their disposition. I think golf is such a great sport because it’s a game of honesty. It's a game of honor. It's a game where just when you're ready to quit, you're gonna have a great hole or a great shot and it brings you back. You make a putt on the 18th hole [and say,] 'Well, I’ll be back tomorrow.'" Ed described his love for the game as it was something he shared with his brothers and was very proud of being inducted into the Caddie Hall of Fame with them. "It was not about me, it wasn't about Billy either, usually he's the headline, it was the fact that all six of us caddied," he told the Sun.

Joel Murray took the news of his brother's demise on Twitter and said, "Ed was the nice Murray who remembered everyone’s name." To which one Internet user replied saying, "I’m so sorry. Ed was our customer at the video store where I worked after high school. We always saved posters for Bill’s movies for him. He was always nice to us.."

Director Bonnie Hunt replied to the tweet saying, "Sweet Ed... So deeply sorry dear Joel... Love you." While another one wrote, "Joel: I miss all of the Murray's, especially at a time like this. We should be gathering at Barr's on the North Side for a proper Irish send-off. There's one more at the Bridge table. You have to watch Ed, he knew how to count cards."

The family has not yet revealed the cause of the death. We will update this article once we have more information.