William F. Morris

William F. Morris

William F. Morris, a longtime resident of Chesterton, Ind., Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry, Idaho, passed away on Sept. 10, 2018, at the age of 98 following a short illness.

Born to James Paul Morris and Jeannette (Horton) Morris in Vandergrift, Pa., on Nov. 6, 1919, Bill spent his childhood and early adulthood in Alliance, Ohio, where he attended Mount Union College attaining a BA in English Literature.

In 1943 Bill entered the Army Air Corps where he trained to fly the Republic P-47 fighter and also qualified to copilot the Douglas C-47 Dakota transport. He was a World War II veteran.

Leaving the Army in 1946, Bill married Charlotte Fay Wood at Augsburg Lutheran Church, in Porter, Ind., on June 6, 1946. He became an English teacher in the Gary city schools from 1946 to 1977, where he was loved by his students, many of whom remained friends into adulthood. He was also active in the Gary schools teachers union.

In 1964 William was awarded a John Hay Fellowship for excellence in his field, and spent the 1964-65 school year studying his chosen field at Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

Bill and Fay remained happily married, living the Chesterton area in the “red brick house” at the Bailly Homestead until 1957, and then moved to the “Fable House” on Hjelm Road, Chesterton, where with infinite patience and good humor they allowed an entire neighborhood of kids to congregate, play kick the can, baseball, football, basketball, camp out, blow off firecrackers, shoot BB guns, throw knives, discuss issues, smoke behind the garage, and otherwise grow into young adults.

Having traveled repeatedly into the Intermountain West for vacations, in 1977 Bill retired and they moved to the Sandpoint/Bonners Ferry area of North Idaho where they remained, fishing, camping, hiking, being active in local politics, and making a new world of friends.

William is survived by his wife, Charlotte Fay (Wood) Morris; children Jeanette Linda Morris, Christopher Morris (Sheryl), Eve Magyar (Bill Critz), Andrew Morris (Annika); grandchildren Eric Morris (Karla), Megan Dicken (Sean); and great-grandchildren Aldon and Amelia Morris.

Bill was loved by all who knew him and will be greatly missed. He had a naturally kind nature and a good sense of humor yet held passionate views about the things he loved and cared about the most: family, books, literature, friends, politics, good food, good hooch, his dogs and cats, a well-made campfire and a good hike in the mountains.

A whole body donor, his ashes will be scattered in the mountain winds.

Happy trails.