Mary Jane (Dore) Morris, 96, of Simsbury, beloved wife of John William “Bill” Morris passed away peacefully on Wednesday, April 11, 2018 at River Ridge of Avon. Born January 7, 1922 in Port Chester, NY, Mary Jane graduated from Trinity College in Washington D.C. in 1942. She met her husband at Twin Lakes in Salisbury, CT. They were married in 1943 and spent their first years together at Edwards Air Force Base in Mojave, CA. After the war they moved to Barry Lane in Simsbury, CT in 1952 and raised and are survived by five sons and daughters-in-law, John William Morris III and wife Barbara of San Francisco, CA, Thomas D Morris and wife Anne Marie of Plainville, MA, Jeffrey L Morris and wife Joni of Simsbury, Paul D Morris and wife Theresa of Raleigh, NC and Timothy J Morris and wife Lynnette of Granby, CT. She was predeceased by her husband of 71 years in 2014, her sister Margaret A Dore of Portchester, NY (2010) and her sister Evelyn Z Morrissey of Rye, NY (2010). She is also survived by 10 Grandchildren and 10 Great Grandchildren. The family is deeply grateful for the love and care provided to Mary Jane by her aide and companion Alice Roberts, during the last 8 years of her life, and by the many caring personnel at River Ridge of Avon.
Raising her family in Simsbury she was a Den Mother for her sons’ Cub Scout packs, a scorer for their Little League teams, an religious instructor for CYO at St. Mary’s Parish in Simsbury, a Past-President of the Simsbury League of Women Voters, and an avid participant in the Ladies’ 18 Holers at Simsbury Farms Golf Club. As her children grew older she acquired her Master’s in Education and her “Sixth Degree” at St. Joseph’s College in West Hartford, CT and became an English Teacher at Simsbury High School in 1966 where she taught for 20 years until retirement in 1986. She served as a volunteer at Simsbury’s CATV and was a longtime member of the Simsbury Zoning Commission. In 1995 the Town of Simsbury honored her as a Home Town Hero. For the last 10 years of her life she was a resident at River Ridge of Avon and a communicant of the Church of St. Ann in Avon, CT.
The family will receive friends at the Church of St. Ann, 289 Arch Road in Avon on Monday, April 23 at 10AM followed by a mass of Christian Burial being celebrated at 11 AM. Burial will take place in Simsbury Cemetery, Plank Hill Rd, in Simsbury immediately following the service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Folds of Honor Foundation, 8551 N 125th E Ave Suite 100, Owasso, OK 74055; foldsofhonor.org.The Vincent Funeral Home of Canton is caring for the arrangements. Please visit Mary Jane’s “Book of Memories” at www.vincentfuneralhome.com for online condolences.