ORIEL C. MORRIS

MORRIS ORIEL C. MORRIS, MD October 21, 1922 - September 2, 2012 Departed this life peacefully at her home surrounded by family following a battle with lung cancer. Oriel was born in Brisbane, Australia, the daughter of Bernard Flewell-Smith and Mary Ethel Carlin (Molly) Darling. She grew up on her parents' pineapple farm, graduated from the Ipswich Girls Grammar School and earned her medical degree from the University of Queensland in 1945. A "war bride,' she met her future husband, Murrell Pinckney Morris, during World War II while she was a medical student and he was a US Army officer stationed in Australia. They married on January 5, 1944 in Brisbane. Oriel came to the United States on the Mariposa, a war bride ship. After her husband completed his PhD in Chemistry at LSU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, they moved to Puerto Rico in 1950. Oriel practiced medicine in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico from 1955 to 1959 while raising three daughters. In 1959 the young family moved to Arlington, Virginia. In 1961 she completed a residency in internal medicine at Doctors Hospital in Washington, DC and joined Group Health Association, a pioneer HMO, where she practiced medicine for over 25 years. She was a diplomate of the American Board of Family Practice. A lifetime member of the Medical Society of the District of Columbia and fellow of the American Academy of Family Practice, she had privileges at George Washington Hospital, Washington Hospital Center, the old Doctors Hospital and Arlington Hospital. Oriel continued to reside in her Arlington home for the rest of her life. Oriel was predeceased by her husband, Murrell, in 1974 and his sister Hazel Garland in 1989. She leaves behind three daughters to cherish her memory: Carlin Timmons (Clyde) of Sullivan's Island, SC, Emelyn Morris-Sayre (Jim) of Lakewood, CO and Margaret Weiss, MD (Robert) of Baltimore, MD; nine grand-children: Eden Fonvielle (Don Whitley), Murrell, Joel and Daniel (Susan DeFreitas) Timmons, Chris (Ruth) and Josh (Courtney) Duncan, Michael (Vivian Fenstermaker MD), David (Gillian) and Jonathan Weiss; three great-grandchildren: Colin Duncan, Margaret and Peter Weiss. Survivors also include family in Australia: her brother Peter Flewell-Smith of Perth, Western Australia and her sister Elizabeth Eden of Goomburger, Queensland, her namesake niece Oriel Flewell-Smith and son Lachlan of Melbourne, Victoria and other nieces and nephews and their families. During her long and happy life, Oriel enjoyed tennis, travel, cultural arts and family. She stayed in touch with old friends around the world and made new ones on the tennis courts. Oriel relished the simple pleasures in life. A vibrant and active nonsmoker, Oriel won first place in mixed doubles tennis in the 80-84 year old age group at the 2003 Northern Virginia Senior Olympics. She made the most of the cultural offerings in the Washington area and annually at Spoleto in Charleston, SC. For 30 years she supported annual family reunions on Pawley's Island where her offspring could renew and deepen the love and joy that is her legacy. Friends are invited to a celebration of her life at her home in Arlington, Virginia on Sunday, September 9, 2012 at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in Oriel's memory can be made to Doctors without Borders; Planned Parenthood, Washington DC Metropolitan chapter; Capital Caring Hospice Services, or a charity of your choice.Friends are invited to a celebration of her life at her home in Arlington, Virginia on Sunday, September 9, 2012 at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in Oriel's memory can be made to Doctors without Borders; Planned Parenthood, Washington DC Metropolitan chapter; Capital Caring Hospice Services, or a charity of your choice.