Peter Morris
WILMINGTON - Peter Wadsworth Morris, 90, died Thursday, October 7, at the Vermont Veterans Home.
He was born January 8, 1931, in New Haven, CT, to Milton and Adeline (McAuley) Morris. After graduating from high school, he joined the US Army in February 1951. He was assigned to the 11th Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, where he received the Parachutist Badge. In November 1951, he was assigned to the 187th Regimental Combat Team in Japan and Korea until 1953, spending nine months on the front line in Korea. Returning to the states in August 1953, he finished his military career at Fort Jay, NY, where he met his future wife, Patricia Crawford. They were married at the Baptist Church in Wilmington on April 3, 1954. Peter and his wife moved to Springfield, MA, graduating from AIC College.
Peter’s first job was as a salesman for a dairy company in New Hampshire, which was the start of a career in sales and marketing. His next job was for Johnson & Johnson, traveling the Northeast selling milk filters. Next, he moved with his family to Chicago Heights, IL, where he worked for a small plant owned by Win Pak Portion Packaging, of Canada. He had a year to get the plant operating and profitable. He stayed with the company until his retirement in 1996.
In the early 1970s Peter learned to fly and got his instrument rating. He also enjoyed yearly trips to Colorado to play golf with his brother Steve. He loved to travel, work or pleasure, even going back to Korea to sell machines to make plastic cups. He also enjoyed doing genealogies and reading military books of WWII and Korea.
Peter was preceded in death by two brothers, Tom and Paul Morris. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Patricia; and sons Peter Jr. (Cheri), Clifford (Connie), of Maryland, Matthew (Cheryl), of Texas, and daughter Sarah Tash (Bryan), of South Carolina; grandchildren Stephen and Curt Morris, of Burlington, Tyler Morris, of Maryland, Matthew G. (Jessica) of New Jersey, Trishia Fitchett, of Texas, Madison and Conner Tash, of South Carolina, and four great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his siblings, Sally Borghesani, of Pennsylvania, and Steve Morris (Laurie), of North Carolina; his two sisters-in-law Mary Morris, of Georgia and Lilla Morris, of Massachusetts; and a special cousin Burton Morris, of New York.
The families of Peter Morris would like to thank the compassionate staff at the Vermont Veterans Home in Bennington for the expert care that was given to Peter during his stay there. A very sincere thanks also to the Covey Allen & Shea Funeral Home. A celebration of life will be held in the spring of 2022. To send personal condolences visit www.sheafuneralhomes.com.
