Donald W. Morrison, 86, of Flat Rock, NC, died Tuesday morning, November 11, 2008, at the Elizabeth House.
A WW II veteran, he served in the US Navy in Adak, Alaska, as a Gunners Mate assigned to the Ammunition Depot. He received his Naval Reserve Officers Training at the University of Virginia, and later served on the USS Shannon based in Charleston, SC, acting as Officer of the Deck and Commanding Officer while the Commander was ashore.
After his military service, he worked for the ESSO Bayonne Refinery as Regional Engineer and Department Head. In 1968, he moved to Australia to work with ESSO Australia Ltd. As Construction Engineer, he was involved in expediting ìOperation Start Up.î He later headed the Fuels Department at the Exxon Bayonne Refinery. He worked as Shift Commander of the NY Harbor Committee Association of Oil Industries which cleaned up oil spills. He served as President and Vice-President of the Exxon Mobile Annuitants Club.
Having earned his Eagle Scout Award in 1939, he served as Scout Master and Assistant Scout Master of his sonís troop. He also had the honor of presenting the Eagle Scout Award to both his grandsons.
After retiring to Hendersonville in 1982, he became active in his community. He was a member of Crooked Creek Home Owners Association, having served as President and Vice-President. An avid golfer, he was a member of both the Crooked Creek Valley League and the Crooked Creakers League. He and his best friends were part of a traveler group, ìThe Thursday Group of Eight Men,î who traveled all over NC, SC, TN, and GA to play golf.
He volunteered with the Housing Assistance Corporation and the Council on Aging, where he served on the Board of Directors for four years. In addition to various home repairs, he also installed hundreds of smoke detectors and many wheelchair ramps, as well as earned much-needed money for non-profit organizations through an Exxon volunteer program. He donated over 20 gallons of blood, mostly in platelets, to the Red Cross.
An avid nature-lover and outdoor enthusiast, he enjoyed gardening, bird watching, hiking, sightseeing, and touring. He was active in the Flat Rock Playhouse and the Hendersonville Little Theater.
He is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Jean Morrison of Hendersonville; his daughter, Barbara Weinstock and her husband, Dan; his son, Douglas Morrison and his wife, Terri; two grandsons, Nicholas and Keith Weinstock; his brother, Ted Morrison and wife, Fran, of Florida; sister, Evelyn Marshall of Virginia; nieces, Dotty Herriott of Arizona and Linda Fisher of New Jersey; and nephews, Troy Marshall and Bill Marshall, both of Virginia.
A memorial service will be held at noon on Saturday, December 6, 2008, in the Kirby Memorial Chapel of Shuler Funeral Home. Military rites will be conducted by Hubert M. Smith American Legion Post 77, Hedrick-Rhodes Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5206, and Disabled American Veterans Chapter 14.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Four Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care, 571 S. Allen Road, Flat Rock, NC 28731.
Memorial
12:00 AM
Kirby Memorial Chapel - Directions
125 Orrs Camp Road
Hendersonville, NC 28792
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