Graveside services will be held for Glenn Howland Morris, 85, of Myrtle Point at 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11, the Norway Cemetery in Myrtle Point.
Glenn Howland Morris was born Glenn Irwin Howland March 13, 1926, in Penrose, Colo., to Joseph L. Howland and Susan Gierhart Howland. He died peacefully Oct. 29, 2011, in Coquille, of heart failure.
Glenn’s mother, Susan, died from complications of childbirth and Glenn was taken, as an infant, to live with this maternal grandmother’s brother, Edward Morris, and his wife Lena, in Dodge City, Ka. He spent his early childhood there, attending Dodge City Central Elementary School while living on the Morris farm where they had a dairy and raised hogs. He recalled during the Great Depression, his aunt and uncle supplied neighbors with milk and pork in trade for help on the farm. His family managed to survive the depression, only to be forced to leave Kansas after the greatest dust storm in the history of the United States — Black Sunday, April 14, 1935. In June 1935, Glen’'s family moved west to settle in Arroyo Grande, Calif.
Glenn was a student and member of the Boy Scouts of America at Pismo Beach Elementary School from the fifth through eighth grades, graduating on to Arroyo Grande Union High School where he was a star baseball player for the Eagles. In December 1943, to facilitate his enlistment in the U.S. Navy prior to his 18th birthday, Glenn was officially adopted by Lena Morris and in January 1944, his name legally changed to Glenn Howland Morris. In March 1944, he completed his requirements for high school graduation, and entered the Navy as an electronic technician’s mate.
During his two-plus years of military service, Glenn received training in electronic engineering from State Teacher's College in North Dakota, and at the University of Notre Dame as a member of the Naval V-12 Unit. Upon discharge from the Navy in 1944, he continued his formal education at California State Polytechnic College (Cal Poly), San Luis Obispo, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in aeronautical engineering on June 2, 1950.
Glenn worked at various jobs while pursuing his education, beginning as a clerk and stock boy at the Log Cabin Grocery store in Arroyo Grande, the summer before graduating from high school. After his military tour, and throughout college, he worked in a radio repair shop; ran a projector in the Pismo Beach Theater; as a laborer for the Santa Barbara County Fair; as junior engineer for a paving company; and finally as a part-time clerk/engineering intern at Cal Poly during his senior year of college. He and Barbara Lee Reed of San Luis Obispo were married the summer of 1950 and, on April 7, 1952, his only child, Susan Alice, was born in Glendale, Calif. In 1960, Glenn’s marriage ended in divorce and in 1961 he married Jane Mathews Winterhalter of Santa Cruz, Calif. They enjoyed a long, happy marriage, living in the same home in Felton, Calif., until her death in 2006.
Upon earning his degree in 1950, Glenn was hired by Lockheed Aircraft Company, Burbank, Calif., as an engineer for aeronautical electronics design and development. In 1958 he was promoted and transferred to the Lockheed, Santa Cruz facility and, a few years later, the Sunnyvale Missiles and Space Division. For several years he managed numerous systems development programs before being promoted to assistant chief engineer for engineering and technology and, again, in 1975 to chief engineer. From 1980, until his retirement in May 1981, he served as vice president of operations for the Missile Systems Division. Throughout his life, Glenn displayed his passion for aeronautics, scientific research, teamwork and perfection in every endeavor, lovingly teaching the importance of these qualities to his offspring and leading his co-workers to coin his motto, “Excellence in all things.”
Throughout his life, Glenn was active in many civic, professional, political and higher education organizations. His favorite vacations were summers spent at Lake Berryessa on his houseboat with family and friends. He also enjoyed landscape gardening, photography, designing and building just about anything from a child’s swing in an oak tree or small woodworking projects, to home remodeling or renovating an old boat. He kept his passion for aeronautics alive with his favorite hobby — designing, building and flying radio controlled planes. The highlight of his recent life was moving in 2006 to Oregon where he was able to watch the building of his daughter’s new home and, most of all to spend time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Glenn Howland Morris is survived by his daughter, Susan Alice Huff and son-in-law, Ray of Bridge; grandsons, Dennis and Jan Washburn of Corvallis, William “Glenn” and Lura Huff of Bridge, Henry Thomas “Hank” Jenna Huff of Sandy, Tristan and Julie Davis Huff of Bridge; nine great-grandchildren; his former wife, Barbara Reed Graham, who lovingly assisted Susan in caring for him during his illness; as well as special nieces, Carol Gailbraith and Debbie Bell.
Glenn was preceded in death by his wife of 45 years, Jane Mathews Morris; mother, Susan Gierhart Howland; father, Joseph L. Howland; guardians, Edward and Lena Morris; uncle, Ira Turner; half-brother, Eldon “Skip” Howland; half-sisters, Sevilla Howland and Virginia Howland Templeton; and “Aunt Maude,” “Aunt Marguerite,” and “Grandma” Rose.
Memorial contributions for a memorial aeronautic engineering scholarship fund can be made c/o Susan Huff, P.O. Box 361, Myrtle Point, OR 97458. Checks should be made payable to Susan Huff with a memo, Glenn Morris Memorial Scholarship.
Arrangements are under the direction of Myrtle Grove Funeral Service, 541-396-3158.