Samuel Morris, Jr., 1920-2014

Samuel Jennings Morris, Jr., 94, of Worthington, Ohio died Saturday November 15 of complications due to injuries suffered in a fall at home. Born January 15, 1920 to Sam Jennings Morris and Lila Ida McCoy Morris of Kansas City, Kansas, he was a 1938 graduate of Wyandotte High School in Kansas City, where he met his wife to be, the former Jane Lemberger. They were married on June 22, 1941 in Kansas City, shortly after he had graduated from the Kansas City Junior College and joined the United States Army. He was a pilot in the Army Air Corps during World War II. After the war he went back to school and was a 1948 petroleum engineering graduate of the University of Kansas. He and Jane spent the early years after his graduation living in several places throughout the mid and southwestern United States as Sam developed his career as an oil field engineer. In the early 1950's they moved to Sistersville, West Virginia where Sam supervised the oil and gas drilling, production, and distribution operations in Ohio, West Virginia and other locations for a Dallas, Texas oil producer. During those years, he and Jane raised their young family in the country outside of Middlebourne, West Virginia. Sam served as President of the Sistersville Chamber of Commerce, and Chairman of the Tyler County West Virginia Republican Party. Sam and Jane moved their family to Riverlea, Ohio near Worthington, in 1964, where they lived the remainder of their lives. He has been a member of the Worthington Presbyterian Church since 1964. He was a long time employee of Owens-Corning Fiberglas at the Granville, Ohio Technical Center. He held several positions there and traveled the world as part of his responsibilities. After his retirement, Sam cared for Jane during her lengthy decline from Alzheimer's disease with love, diligence and vigor, and was a faithful volunteer for the Alzheimer's Association for decades. For that he was awarded the 1998 Ohio First Ladies Award for Elder Caregiving by Janet Voinovich, wife of former Governor George V. Voinovich. Subsequently he was also cited for his care of Jane by then Governor Robert A. Taft during the March 1999 State of the State Speech. In his world travels, he visited every continent except the Antarctic, and has visited most of the world's major cities. He was preceded in death by Jane, his wife of 61 years, next to whom he is buried in the Walnut Grove Cemetery in Worthington. He is survived by his son Samuel Steven Morris of Bexley, his daughter Lisa Jane Morris and her husband Kent M. Shimeall of Worthington, by his grandsons, Samuel Courter M. Shimeall and Stilson Wyatt M. Shimeall of Columbus. He is also survived by his daughter in law, Courter's wife, Angela Evans and their son, Samuel Reppart Shimeall-Evans. A memorial service in his honor will be held at 10:30 am Wednesday, December 3 at the Worthington Presbyterian Church, 773 High Street in Worthington. Memorial gifts may be made in his name to the Capital Area Humane Society, 3015 Scioto-Darby Executive Court, Hilliard, Ohio 43026 or the Willow Brook Christian Home, 55 Lazelle Road, Columbus, Ohio 43235. Arrangements by the Rutherford-Corbin Funeral Home, 515 High St., Worthington.