Frederick K. Morris, born August 25, 1935, died peacefully on Groundhog Day, surrounded by his loving family, finally succumbing to prostate cancer after battling it for nearly two decades. Fred is survived by his brother Austin, married to Sandy; his children, Jeff and his wife, Lori, John married to Karen, Jen and her husband Dan; his closest friend, Genie Fortier and her family; and his grandchildren Ellen, Tyler, Violet, Justin, Cole, Arden, Garrett, Luke and Caroline. He was married from 1960 to 1992 to Sue Mackay Morris, who passed in 2016.
Fred and Austin were raised in Westfield, Massachusetts by Augustine (Gus) and Frieda Morris. Fred graduated Suma Cum Laude from Tufts University in 1956, with a Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering. He later earned a Masters degree from RPI. In 1956 he went to work for Hamilton Standard, an aerospace manufacturer, as a principal engineer. There he spent the majority of his career, rising to the company's executive management team, retiring in 2000. At Hamilton Standard he met Sue, his future wife, Harlan Brose, his lifetime hunting companion, Genie, and countless other lifelong friends, many of whom gathered to celebrate his 80th birthday in 2015.
Fred will be remembered in his career for his tenacity, his mentorship and his commitments to success upon every project he worked, be that the original Apollo space suit backpack, the space suit and life support systems for the US Space Shuttle, (including defending the shuttle's space toilet in front of the US Congress), or the aircraft maintenance and overhaul systems programs that launched the international business development portion of his career.
Fred was a world traveler, having visited six continents, and using a myriad of excuses to plan trips including skiing in Chile, eating in Paris or Italy, exchanging cultures in Moscow, or gathering family and friends for beach vacations on Cape Cod or in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and hunting excursions to Newfoundland and South Africa. He'd rafted through the Grand Canyon, helicopter camped on the Kamchatka peninsula, and skied in the Rockies, the Alps, the Andes and at home in the Berkshires and Green Mountains.
Fred was generous, funding his grandchildren's college investment accounts and having given away some of his favorite sports cars to family and friends. He was funny, drank vodka gimlets to prevent scurvy, and courageous, leaping into skydiving and bungee jumping, activities that required no skill, just daring. He lived by example enjoying an active, robust life, surrounding himself with loving companions wherever he went. He's already missed.
Due to the pandemic, a memorial service is not planned at this time. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in memory of Frederick Morris to support cancer research and patient care at:
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284