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Oley W. Morgan

FUNERAL HOME

Demaine Funeral Home - Springfield

5308 Backlick Road

Springfield, Virginia

Oley Morgan Obituary

MORGAN, OLEY W.

Of Annandale, VA on April 12, 2006. Beloved father of Jennifer Arvanitis, Oley Daniel Morgan, Patricia Lynn Morgan, Tamoley M. Curran and Debra Ann Memmel. He is also survived by eight grandchildren, one great-granddaughter, brother, Joseph Morgan; sister, Betty Snook. Family will receive friends at DEMAINE SPRINGFIELD- ANNANDALE FUNERAL CHAPEL, Backlick & Edsall Rds., Springfield, VA, Monday, April 17, 2006 from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Community, 1427 W. Braddock Rd., Alexandria, VA 22302, Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at 10 a.m. Burial will follow at Columbia Gardens Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to S.O.M.E. (So Others May Eat), 71 O St., N.W., Wahsington, DC 20001.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The Washington Post from Apr. 14 to Apr. 15, 2006.

Memories and Condolences
for Oley Morgan

19 Entries

Mary Noble

June 9, 2006

I love you, oh how I miss you! You are forever in my thoughts, my heart, my being. What a treasure you were to have in my life. You were and are the King of all relatives and you will never really be gone. I feel as if I could reach out and touch you, my dearest, hero, Uncle Oley! I know that you are looking down upon us all as we look UP to you there, the same as we did here in this life!

Love forever....your niece...Mary

Tommy Gough

April 30, 2006

I've known Oley most of my life but never really had the opportunity to know him intimately up until these last six years. I think God had a plan for my life when I came in contact with Oley again. As you may or may not know, I'm Uncle Joe's nephew, and Oley was my uncle's brother and mentor. He, like me, loved him very much. Oley constantly talked about my Dad, Big Tom Gough, whom I never had the opportunity to know as he had passed away seven months before my birth. Oley shared many stories with me about my Dad and I love him so much for that. He really loved my Dad and I never knew this up until the last six years.

Prior to becoming closer to Oley, I had been to this 75th Birthday Party and he appreciated me so much for being there. He made me feel very important in his own way.

I would like to thank the family; Oley's children and grandchildren for allowing me to be with them as a part of the family when my main man, Oley, passed from this world. I see why there was so much love in this family, all because of this great man. I appreciate them so much for making it possible for me to say goodbye to him. The love in that hospital room moved me so much; it's hard to expain the love that I felt pouring forth for Oley from every individual.

When I saw that the end was near, I rushed to call my Uncle Joe because I knew he would want to be with his brother, however, Joe was afraid to leave his ailing wife and he asked me to be his emmisary.

By the time I got back to the room, Oley had gone home but I still went over, leaned down, and told my main man, Uncle Oley, what his brother had said.

I love you, Man!

Tommy Gough

Mary Noble

April 28, 2006

It seems as if just a few days have gone by, and I forget that you are no longer here in the flesh. I think of calling you on my cell phone as I often did on my way home from work, just to see how you are and tell you that I love you. Then comes the stab of pain in my heart when I realize I cannot call you anymore. There is no way that I can ever forget you or stop loving you! I'm happy that you are no longer suffering, but so sad for myself and my cousins; your children and grandchildren. It is too difficult to drive by your former home and see it looking so abandoned, so lonely without the warmth of life in it; your life, Debbie's life and the boys'. I talk to Tommy, not surprised at all to hear him say the same things I've just said about you. You touched so many so deeply; how did you come to be such a great and greatly loved man? You were the BEST, Uncle Oley; no one, not even my father, could surpass you! There are days that I wish we could all stop missing you, especially if our grieving is holding you back from greater things. I hope this guest book stays online for a long time so that I can continue to tell you how much you are loved. I feel you everyday, your light still shines in my heart, your energy is everlasting to me! You are my hero!

Always,

Mary

Mary Noble

April 22, 2006

I love you and I miss you terribly. You know, more than anyone, what you meant to me and you always will!

Your dearest niece,

Mary Noble

Douglas Radt

April 21, 2006

Dear family of Oley Morgan : My thoughts and prayers are with you. Oley was a true friend of mine and will be dearly missed. I will always hold onto the fond memories I have with Oley.

Carolyn Abshire

April 20, 2006

A little bespectacled, redheaded, freckled face girl, climbed upon your lap and you made her feel loved and safe again after her father died.

She loved you as a child and idolized you as an adult woman. She never tired of hearing the stories of how you drove her mother to the hospital hoping all the way you would get there before she was born praying you would not be pulled over for speeding. Then there was the time you visited her father on a farm in Maine and thinking you were helping him accidentally pulled up his newly planted potatoes all the while told in that voice. Oh I will miss that voice.

My first memories are of Danberry Road around that now infamous kitchen table. I did not know as a small child what I was feeling but now I know it was love. How many places do you go where you can actually feel the love? Then there was the constant aroma of luscious food cooking and the absolute agony of waiting to eat it that will remain with me forever. If home is where the heart is, then that was my home.

I now know Heaven is a perfect place because it is where you live...

Farewell my darling Uncle Oley until we meet again.

Your Niece, Pinky

My love to all of my wonderful cousins.

Erica Knott

April 19, 2006

To Oley from your “brunette daughter”… You were the essence of a strong and loving gentleman. You never failed to make me feel loved and welcomed in your presence and I realize that it was your embracing way that made so many family members and friends want to be close to you. You successfully instilled that gift in every one of your children. Every visit with you was a reminder of the things to be valued the most in life, your home, your family, good friendships, and lots of laughter. You were the warmest most gracious host. “Come and sit down and have something to eat.” You never forgot to ask, “How are those beautiful children?” and you always pointed out to me their wonderful traits. You lifted my spirit with your memories of my parents. You loved to remind me of my precious mother. You would say, “Baby, your mother was beautiful and MAN could she dance…you better believe it!!” Every time you told me that, your convincing expression made my heart swell with pride. That was such a gift to me. I always felt refreshed after a visit with you.

Then there was your love for my brother. “How is my boy, Dickie?” Again, your awe and enthusiasm for him in his younger days as a pitcher in the Babe Ruth Baseball League never diminished. In fact, you shared those memories again with your family the evening before you departed this life. Your type of kindness, loyalty, and devotion is rare. It is said that of all the things in life that you can do for other people, the one that will be remembered above all, is the way you made a person feel. In that statement, they were talking about you because you made the people in your life feel valuable.

From the time I was a little girl, I never saw you look any way other than perfectly handsome. How did you manage to work so long and hard at your jobs, balance the other activities in your life, and yet always look so fresh? You were amazing!

I am so grateful that you made me a part of your family and for the loving times we shared. I’m happy that your family members and friends have so many precious memories of you to share over and over again. You have left behind a phenomenal legacy and you will continue to live in our hearts until we meet again.

I love you and I will miss you,

Erica

Raymond Morgan, Jr

April 18, 2006

Our sincerest condolences from my family to yours. I was saddend to hear of your departure from this earth, but knowing that you will be in heaven in the after-life made me feel much better. Uncle Oley, I did not grow up close to you and your family, I saw you and yours as events presented themselves, but when I did see you in later years, I had a great admiration of you and your family. You always talked so candid and proudly of all their accomplishments. What a proud father and grandfather you were. I always enjoyed talking shop with you about the printing industry, as it appeared to be in several of us Morgans. My most memorable and fondest memory of you was at my Dads, Labor day weekend in 2000. I told my son Brad we should take a trip to South Carolina to see Uncle Oley and his Grandfather. Done deal. We arrived, played some golf and proceeded afterwards to buy the HEAVIEST crabs I've ever had. Here is where the story starts to onfold. I asked my Dad if he had a crabpot, he said sure. Well my Dad was missinformed. We had a pot, not too big, with no room to put the water in to steam them! I said to all, we'll make due. My Dad went back out for some misc items and I proceeded to put the crabs in our make-shift crabpot. By make-shift, it's like this. We put a plate on top of the wires (coathangers)on the bottom of the pot and added water. Uncle Oley was in charge of bending and forming the wires, as to fit snuggly on the bottom. We all know as meticulous as Oley was, I did'nt have a week to do this. So we got the wires prepared and started putting the crabs in the pot. The crabs were so heavy because they were on the bottom of the water since birth, mudders. So with-out thinking I took them out of the pot and bags and put them in the sink a few at a time to rinse them. What happends to crabs when you put water on them and they have an escape outlet, YES, all over the floor. Oley started to help capture the critters, one attached itself to Oleys hand, he said look what I caught!. It was a Kodak moment. We finally started to cook the crabs and carry-on with our evening. Between my Dad and Uncle Oley we were all in tears from the jokes and the stories. The rest of the weekend was spent watching sports, news and of course the Redskins and eating Oleys spagetti sauce with various forms of chili and pasta. We should celebrate Oleys passing and remember fondley as much as we can. We love you and will miss you. Hope to see everyone sometime, Ray Morgan,Jr

Mike and Kathy Holmes

April 18, 2006

Hi Jenna, Danny, Patty, Tammy, and Debbie,

I was sorry to hear about your dad. He was a very special person, he will be greatly missed. I hope his passing was peaceful. What I remember about your dad is that he had a great sense of humor and a genuine interest in people.

You do not have to look any further than yourselves to know how special he was to have helped raise such a great family. Please pass along our condolences to your family.

God Bless,

Love from Mike, Kathy, Justin, Connor and Reilly

Lynnora Best

April 17, 2006

To my wonderful friend Debbie and her family. Mr. Oley is with God now and God will give you all the strength and guidance to get through this. I'll miss hearing Mr. Oley's raspy and deep voice on the phone he was such a sweet loving man. He is still watching each and everyone of you. Stay strong and be blessed. Love, Lynnora

Mary Noble

April 16, 2006

Skipper:

I long to see you at Uncle Oley's celebration of life into eternity.

Your beloved sister,

Mary

Charles Noble

April 15, 2006

Dear Ones,

It is hard for me to put into words just what your father meant to me. He was for starters the epitomy of manhood. His strength of purpose was one of his most admirable traits. One could always feel safe in his presence. He was a wonderful story teller, quick to laugh at the foibles of mankind, as well as himself.

His love of family was another of his greatest traits, though there were many others. He was generous as could be, sharing his time and in many cases his money. Above all he ws not a quitter. His recovery from that monumental operation in Baltimore was a gift to all of us. It showed us how to meet adversity head on and to not give up.

Once in a conversation referring to his Golden Gloves participation he said to me that, "A man can't be knocked out unless he wants to be". This pretty much sums up what Oley Morgan was about, That above all you do not give up.

I shall miss him greatly knowing he was always there to greet me with "Hey How you doin Skippa?"

His relationship with my dad was one of sincere friendship. They kidded each other a lot.

My dad could always get a rise out of Oley. Then dad would end the farce and together they would both laugh about the whole thing whatever it happened to be.-

"Saint Christophe has crossed the river. All night long he has marched against the stream. Like a rock his huge limbed bodystands above the water. On his shoulder is the child, frail and heavy. St Christophe leans on a pine tree he has plucked up, and it bends. His back also bends. Those who saw him set out, vowed that he would never win through, and for a long time their mockery and their laughter followed him. Then the night fell and they grew weary.

Now Christophe is too far away for the cries of those standing on the water's brink to reach him. Through the roar of the torrent he hears only the tranquil voice of the child, clasping a lock of hair on the giant's forehead in his little hand , and crying: "March on."_ And with bowed back, and eyes fixed straight in front of him on the dark bank whose towering slopes are beginning to gleam white, he marches on.

Suddenly the Angelus sounds and the flock of bells spring into wakefullness. It is the new dawn!! Behind the sheer cliff rises the golden glory of the invisible sun.

Almost falling Christophe at last reaches the river bank, and he says to the child: "Here we are! How heavy thou wert!- Child who art thou?" and the child answers: "I am the day soon to be born."

My sincere condolences to all of you.

Your loving cousin,

Skipper

Gayle Holmes

April 15, 2006

Dearest Oley:

You will be greatly missed, but you will live in our hearts forever.

Love, Gayle and Howard

Melissa Morgan

April 15, 2006

I am glad that I finally got to know Uncle Oley after all these years. I enjoyed the converstaions we had and the stories we had about his childhood and boxing. He was one of the most interesting people I have met in my life, and he will truely be missed. And to his children and grandchildren: you all were very blessed to have a person as genuine and kind as Oley, and after talking and getting to meet some of you myself, I see that all of you have the same goodness in you that Oley had in himself. My heart and thoughts are with you.

Frances Sebuabey

April 14, 2006

May you find peace in the passing of your love one and carry him in your heart with joy always, Condolences & Hugs

My Uncle Oley, 88 yrs. of age!

April 14, 2006

From: Oley Morgan--To My Beloved Children:

April 14, 2006

To my dearest family, some things I'd like to say...
but first of all, to let you know, that I arrived okay.
I'm writing this from heaven. Here I dwell with God above.
Here, there's no more tears of sadness; here is just eternal love.

Please do not be unhappy just because I'm out of sight.
Remember that I'm with you every morning, noon and night.
That day I had to leave you when my life on earth was through,
God picked me up and hugged me and He said, "I welcome you."

It's good to have you back again; you were missed while you were gone.
As for your dearest family, they'll be here later on.
I need you here badly; you're part of my plan.
There's so much that we have to do, to help our mortal man."

God gave me a list of things, that he wished for me to do.
And foremost on the list, was to watch and care for you.
And when you lie in bed at night, the day's chores put to flight.
God and I are closest to you....in the middle of the night.

When you think of my life on earth, and all those loving years
because you are only human, they are bound to bring you tears.
But do not be afraid to cry; it does relieve the pain.
Remember there would be no flowers, unless there was some rain.

I wish that I could tell you all that God has planned.
But if I were to tell you, you wouldn't understand.
But one thing is for certain, though my life on earth is o'er.
I'm closer to you now, than I ever was before.

There are many rocky roads ahead of you and many hills to climb;
but together we can do it by taking one day at a time.
It was always my philosophy and I'd like it for you too...
that as you give unto the world, the world will give to you.

If you can help somebody who's in sorrow and pain,
then you can say to God at night......"My day was not in vain."
And now I am contented....that my life has been worthwhile,
knowing as I passed along the way, I made somebody smile.

So if you meet somebody who is sad and feeling low,
just lend a hand to pick him up, as on your way you go.
When you're walking down the street, and you've got me on your mind;
I'm walking in your footsteps only half a step behind.

And when it's time for you to go.... from that body to be free,
remember you're not going.....you're coming here to me.

Ruth Ann Mahaffey (author)
©Copyright 1998-2006

Ken Warden

April 14, 2006

To my dear sweet friend Debbie, and her beautiful family, I am so truly sorry for your loss. Your father was one terrific man, and I know you will miss him dearly. I hope you are able to take comfort in the fact that he loved you all so very much! I so enjoyed the times that I got to speak with him, as he always brought a smile to my face.

May God be with you all during this most difficult time.

I love you dearly Debbie!

Ken

Mary Noble

April 14, 2006

My Darling Uncle Hunk:

What a supreme honor it was to know you because "to know you is to love you"; that great big, manly persona of yours coupled with a heart as soft as marshmallows will forever be etched in my memories and my soul!

You, out of no underlying motive whatsoever other than love and pure generosity, were the most superior host (bar-none) to all who entered your home!

Your twinkling blue eyes and your little smirky smile always let me know when you were teasing me!

I will celebrate your life until mine has ended here; I will not indulge myself too long in grieving because everytime I look at your children and grandchildren, I realize that you, in many ways, are still here. You taught them so very much; Jenna, Danny, Patti, Tammi and Debbie and I can see that they've passed onto their children the essence of you and your character, your respectfulness towards others, your politeness, your grace and your giving nature.

Uncle Oley, how wonderful you must feel, unencumbered by life's hurts, aches, sorrows and pains! The liberation from the chains of this life has brought you into the arms of your mother, Anna, your brother, Raymond, your sister, Mary, your sisters- and brothers-in-law, your dear nieces and nephews and your many good friends who are now surrounding you!

I will always love you and miss you; you were the father figure that I longed for after Russell departed this life and you beautifully fulfilled that role for me!

You are in the heart of your loving niece for infinity and I look forward to the day when, in Glory, I meet you again on the wind beneath our wings.

We all love you forever,

Mary Faith Noble & Children,

Ruben, Carolyn and Jennifer ("sabe me, Unca Odey, sabe me"!!)