Richard Morris

Canton-Richard Ned Morris, age 86 died Wednesday, December 17, 2003 at Haywood Regional Medical Center.

He was a native of Haywood County, where he lived for several years. and a son of the late Bill and Anne Hipps Morris. He was also preceded in death by an infant son, William Michael Morris and two brothers Bill and Frank Morris. Mr. Morris was a Past Master of the Dillsboro Masonic Lodge AF & AM and a member of the Pigeon River Lodge #386 AF & AM. He was a Mason for over 53 years and was a Shriner and member of the Haywood County Shrine Club. He was a member of the Canton Presbyterian Church.

Mr. Morris was educated in the Canton schools where he was an all-state football player. He then attended Brevard College, N.C. State University, and Western Carolina University, where he was a member of the football team at each school. Following college he worked for Champion Paper and Fiber Co. in Pasadena, Texas. Later, he was with the federal government on the Fontana Dam project in Fontana and the Manhattan project in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Later Mr. Morris moved to Sylva where he was owner of the Sports Center and was co-owner of drive-in theaters in Brevard, Sylva, and Franklin. He later became co-owner of the C & M Oil Co. in Canton. He retired from the State Alcohol Beverage Control as an agent.

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Kathryn Sandlin Morris and several nieces and nephews in TX, NC and PA.

Services will be private, however; the family will be at the residence.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Sandlin-Morris Scholarship Fund for students of Western North Carolina at Western Carolina University Foundation, 401 Administration Building, Cullowhee, NC 28723.