Frater Hymenaeus Alpha 777 (Grady Louis McMurtry) began writing a series on magick and philosophy which first appeared in The Magickal Link in October of 1981. This series ran for forty-four installments until the last article appeared in The Magickal Link, Vol. V, No. 5 June 1985 e.v.  The following month, or the July issue, would carry a lengthy article written by Bill Heidrick titled “The Caliph’s Health.” It graphically described how Grady was suffering from pulmonary edema, a condition in which the lungs become swollen with fluids, causing strain on the heart muscle and how he was not expected to live much longer. The article also talked about the OTO and what would happen to the Order if and when Grady died. Behind the scenes, the OTO Board Meetings were filled with comments and Resolutions regarding everyone’s plans about the continuity of the Order and electing Grady’s successor. Then, on July 12, before most members of the OTO had even received their copy of the July issue of The Magickal Link, Grady Louis McMurtry passed away. He was sixty-six years old. He was lying in his hospital bed at Brookside Hospital in San Pablo, discussing forms of meditation with a friend when he softly said, “I think my path is more the Sufi Path.”

Below is the article from the July issue:

article in The Magickal Link vol V no 7 July 1985 on Grady Louis McMurtry's congestive heart failure page 1 of 4
article in The Magickal Link vol V no 7 July 1985 on Grady Louis McMurtry's congestive heart failure page 2 of 4