THOMAS I MORRIS
1941 - 2016
THOMAS IRA MORRIS (AKA CAPT TOM) PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY AT THEIR HOME IN TAMPA FL IN THE ARMS OF HIS LOVING WIFE KELLEY ON 5/27/2016 AT THE AGE OF 74.
HE WAS BORN ON 8/27/1941 AT STRONG MEMORIAL HOSPITAL IN ROCHESTER, NY AND GREW UP IN CANANDAIGUA, NY. TOM BECAME AN EAGLE SCOUT IN 1956, ONE OF THE YOUNGEST IN ONTARIO COUNTY. PARTICIPATED IN MANY ACTIVITIES, BAND, STUDENT GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE FOR HIS SENIOR CLASS. HE GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL 6/59 FROM THE CANANDAIGUA MILITARY ACADEMY ON MAIN STREET, CANANDAIGUA AND THEN IN 9/1959 MOVED TO MIAMI TO START COLLEGE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI IN SEPT 1959. TOM WAS A BROTHER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI GAMMA PHI CHAPTER-SIGMA CHI () FRATERNITY IN SEPTEMBER 1960. ALSO, THE ROTC PROGRAM WHICH HE HELPED FOUNDED THE ARMY AVIATION UNIT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI. AFTER GRADUATING COLLEGE IN 6/1963, HE THEN WENT INTO THE UNITED STATES ARMY AS AN OFFICER AND 2ND LIEUTENANT, THEN PROMOTED TO 1ST LIEUTENANT AND THEN TO CAPTAIN. WHILE IN THE ARMY HE WAS A PILOT AND FLEW FIXED WING L19 BIRD DOGS, L20 BEAVERS AND HU-I HELICOPTERS. HE GRADUATED ON 12/18/1964 FROM FLIGHT SCHOOL IN FT RUCKER, ALABAMA AND THEN WENT ON TO THE GENERAL SUPPORT PLATOON 11TH AIR ASSAULT DIVISION IN FT. BENNING, GEORGIA WITH ONE OF HIS DEAREST FRIENDS FOR LIFE, BOB STUKES. THEY BOTH ALWAYS HAD MANY WONDERFUL STORIES OF THEIR DAYS IN THE ARMY TOGETHER. TOM WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED FROM THE ARMY IN 1966 AND THEN JOINED THE RESERVE UNIT IN MIAMI, FL. HE WAS THEN HIRED BY EASTERN AIRLINES AS A PILOT BUT DECIDED THAT WAS NOT WHAT HE WANTED TO DO. HE WENT ON TO BECOME AN ALLSTATE INSURANCE SENIOR ACCOUNT AGENT FOR 35 YEARS RETIRING IN 1996. DURING THAT TIME HE ALWAYS MAINTAINED HIS USCG MARITIME MASTER US MERCHANT MARINE OFFICER CAPTAINS LICENSE AND SPENT HIS FREE TIME BOATING WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY IN THE FLORIDA KEYS. HE WENT ON TO PURCHASE THE BARREL HOUSE BAR IN ISLAMORADA, FLORIDA KEYS IN 1982 THAT THEY CHANGED THE NAME TO THE WORLD FAMOUS "WHISTLE STOP" MM82. AFTER 30 YEARS OF WONDERFUL MEMORIES WITH MANY LIFELONG FRIENDS. HE AND HIS PARTNERS RETIRED IN 2012 TO ENJOY THEIR LIVES AND TRAVEL AND SPEND TIME WITH FAMILY AND DEAR FRIENDS. CAPT TOM WAS A VERY PROUD MAN OF ALL OF HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS DURING HIS LIFE. THE LOVE HE HAD FOR HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT TO HIM. HE WAS THE MOST GENEROUS, LOVING, HONEST MAN YOU COULD EVER MEET. HE WAS ALWAYS TELLING JOKES, AND HE WOULD BE THE ONE TO LAUGH THE HARDEST EACH TIME HE TOLD IT LIKE IT WAS THE FIRST TIME.
TOM AND KELLEY RAISED CHILDREN, WORKED VERY HARD, TRAVELED THE WORLD AND LIVED A FULL LIFE TOGETHER FOR 32 YEARS. HE WILL ALWAYS BE IN OUR HEARTS, DEARLY MISSED AND NEVER FORGOTTEN!
TOM WAS PREDECEASED BY HIS FATHER, IRA THOMAS MORRIS - MORRIS BUSINESS MACHINES, CANANDAIGUA, NY AND HIS MOTHER VIRGINIA LEE MORRIS HOLLYWOOD, FL.
HE IS SURVIVED BY HIS LOVING WIFE KELLEY OF 32 YEARS, HIS BROTHER MICHAEL DAVID MORRIS AND SISTER IN LAW MARTHA MORRIS (COLONIAL HEIGHTS, VA.) HIS SISTER LAUREL MORRIS LEIGH (BOCA RATON, FL) NIECES, LISA HEARN (PLANTATION, FL AND MICHELE GLUKHOV, (BOCA RATON, FL) SISTER IN LAW TRACEY BURGESON AND BROTHER IN LAW ROBERT BURGESON (RIVERVIEW, FL)
HIS 3 LOVING CHILDREN,DAUGHTER, JENNIFER MORRIS BILLOR AND SON IN LAW STEVE BILLOR (RIVERVIEW, FL) SON, MICHAEL THOMAS MORRIS AND "BOWIE" (ISLAMORADA, FL) AND SON MICHAEL ALLEN AHREND AND DAUGHTER IN LAW CATHERINE CORINNE AHREND (WESLEY CHAPEL, FL)
4 GORGEOUS GRANDCHILDREN, MATTHEW THOMAS BILLOR, ASHLEY MARIE BILLOR, ELIZABETH ANNE AHREND AND ANDREW JACOB AHREND.
A FULL US ARMY MILITARY HONORS CEREMONY WILL BE HELD AT THE VETERANS MEMORIAL PARK 3602 U.S. 301 N. TAMPA, FL 33619 ON JUNE 25 AT 11:00AM AND A CELEBRATION RECEPTION TO IMMEDIATELY FOLLOW AT THE AMERICAN LEGION POST 148 - 7240 US HIGHWAY 301 RIVERVIEW, FL 33578
BECAUSE OF HIS LOVE FOR THE FLORIDA KEYS, HE HAD REQUESTED THE DRESS CODE BE CASUAL FLORIDA KEYS AND NO BLACK ATTIRE PLEASE!
PLEASE ONLY RSVP IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE CEREMONY, CELEBRATION OF LIFE, OR BOTH. FAMILY HAS REQUESTED NO PHONE CALLS OR TEXTS PLEASE. SEND YOUR RSVP BY 6/15/16 TONINELIVE225@AOL.COM SO THAT ARRANGEMENTS CAN BE FINALIZED.
WE NEVER GAVE UP THE FIGHT AND ENJOYED EVERYDAY THAT WE ALL HAD TOGETHER!