Clarence E. Morris, Jr.

Clarence E. Morris, Jr., 89, a longtime resident of Atlanta died September 15, 2017. He was born in Asheville, NC, and grew up in New London, Albemarle and Asheboro, NC. He joined the United States Marine Corps in June, 1945, at age seventeen. He was trained for the invasion of Japan, but was diverted to China after Truman dropped the A-Bombs. Upon returning from military service, he graduated from Asheboro High School in 1948, and in 1951 he graduated from Catawba College in Salisbury, NC with a degree in Accounting. He joined Southern Bell in Atlanta in 1951 and served in a number of management positions in Georgia, Louisiana, Kentucky and back in Georgia in 1959. He retired as Operations Manager – Administrative Services in 1990. During his thirty-nine year career with Southern Bell, he was a member of the Telephone Pioneers of America and the Administrative Management Society, where he served as President of the Atlanta Chapter in 1971. He served three years on the Catawba College Alumni Association Board of Directors, the third year as President. He was an avid tennis player having played in Alta over thirty years. Starting at C-3 and moving up to A-1 over the years. After retirement, he played several times a week with the Seniors Group at DeKalb and Blackburn Tennis Centers. He was a regular Blood Donor having donated over 200 pints. He was a long time member of the Briarcliff United Methodist Church serving as head usher for many years. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Margaret (Peggy) Garner Morris and his daughter Lisa Ann Morris both of Atlanta, GA. A graveside service will be held Thursday, September 21, 2017 at 2:00 PM at Oaklawn Cemetery, Asheboro, NC. A funeral service was held in Atlanta, GA. Pugh Funeral Home, Asheboro is handling local arrangements.