Donald William Morrison

September 5, 1922 - November 11, 2008
Donald William Morrison

Gifts & Memorial Donations



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

Saturday, December 6, 2008
12:00 AM

Kirby Memorial Chapel - Directions
125 Orrs Camp Road
Hendersonville, NC 28792

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  • November 13, 2008
    Linda & Ed says:
    We will always cherish the thousands of memories that we have. Uncle Don was so very special to me and will always have a place in my heart. We will never forget him

  • November 14, 2008
    Ted Morrison says:
    Big Brother Don,I will miss our recent phone calls concerning our health problems but now you are at peace with the world. You have had a wonderful life with Jean,Barbie and Doug seeing many parts of the world. We are proud of your life's success and accomplishments along with all your charitably work and contributions to the elderly. I am very proud to have been your kid brother, with love, Red

  • November 14, 2008
    Cheri Wilson says:
    Don started volunteering with The Housing Assistance Corporation (HAC) in 1992. He served on the Board of Directors, completed Home Repair program inspections with Shelia Plott, built ramps, repaired decks plus other carpentry and plumbing work. Don was able to earn grant money for HAC through Exxon's Volunteer Involvement Program, posted HAC newsletters on the golf league bullentin boards and also lead Lowes Heroes employee volunteers on ramp jobs. Don had a working knowledge of most home maintenance skills. To free up his days for outings with Jean and his love of golf, he perferred to work alone on repair jobs during the evenings and weekends but when needed recruited his neighbors and friends. When I came in 1999, he made the transition so comfortable and easy for me. He said his best experiences with HAC were "always the gratitude and relief expressed by truly needy people when a serious problem affecting their quality of life has been corrected". Don was a tremendous asset to The Housing Assistance Corporation and he will be missed.

  • November 15, 2008
    Laurie (McFadden) DeLia says:
    Uncle Don and Aunt Jean, I have many happy memories of the Cousins' Parties and weekends spent with you! I pray that you are in a place of peace. You are both still in my heart.

  • November 16, 2008
    Linda Brookes says:
    Hendersonville Little Theatre has lost a faithful patron.