Peter S Morris

On January 20th, 2024, the profound and inspiring life of Dr. Peter Morris was laid to rest. Peter was born in Brick Township, New Jersey on August 28th, 1967. He was a man of great passion, with a captivating intelligence and a contagious humor. Pete saw the beauty in everything - sports, movies, music, history, nature - the list was endless. He was dedicated to making an impact in all of the lives he touched as a proud leader and advocate of education and a dedicated athlete. The common theme was always his ability to deeply and genuinely resonate with each person he interacted with. Peter was a difference maker and inspired in the truest sense. Pete was a man of utmost selflessness, prided on his biggest identity of being a father. His effervescent character and immense love for life will be deeply and tremendously missed.

Peter grew up in the Lake Riviera community of Brick, raised by his amazing mother Lesley Ann Morris and his father Thomas Merritt Morris. He was the youngest of four siblings and is survived by father Thomas, brother Thomas Jr. and sisters Judith and Susan. Dr. Peter Morris attended Drum Point Elementary School, Lake Riviera Middle School, and Brick Township High School where he graduated in 1985. Pete was an outstanding student and standout three sport athlete - playing varsity football, ice hockey, and baseball - during his era at Brick Township High School. He was named to the New Jersey First-Team All State accolades for ice hockey in 1985.

Morris spent a year as a military cadet at Admiral Farragut Academy following his high school graduation. Dr. Morris attended American International College (AIC) where he majored in History and Education and also played NCAA ice hockey. He proudly captained the AIC National Championship winning team in 1990. After college, Pete played for the ECHL Johnstown Chiefs for the 1990-1991 season. Hockey was an instrumental part of Peter’s life. He loved being on the ice and the rink was his escape. In recent years, Peter shared this sport closely with his children.  

In his professional life, Peter returned to his alma mater, Brick Township High School, as a Special Education Teacher in 1992. He went on to attend Georgian Court University for his M.A. in Educational Administration before obtaining the role of Vice Principal at Brick Memorial High School in 2002. Attending Rowan University for Educational and Organizational Leadership, Pete earned his doctorate in 2005. Dr. Morris became the Superintendent of Lavallette Elementary School in 2006 and in 2016 was also named the Superintendent of Bay Head Elementary School. Dr. Morris was awarded Ocean County Superintendent of the Year in 2013. 

Peter was an adjunct collegiate educator at both Ocean County Community College and Georgian Court University where he served as an graduate thesis advisor in educational leadership for many years. 

Dr. Peter Morris retired from his Superintendent positions in 2021 and returned to serve the Brick Township School District as the Interim Director of Special Services in 2022 and was most recently named Director of Transportation for Brick Schools in 2023. In all of these roles, he truly connected with all he came in contact with by always ensuring that they were seen, heard, and valued. Pete led with love and believed in possibilities and kept all around him focused on what could be by embracing those possibilities and moving forward with a positive outlook each and every day. 

Peter is survived by his wife Brooke and his three incredible children, Laine (24), Peter (16), and Matthew (14).

A celebration of life will be held on Thursday, January 25th from 3:00pm - 7:00pm at Weatherhead Young Funeral Home- 885 Mantoloking Road, Brick, NJ. Immediately following the services, the family would like to invite everyone to join them for refreshments and appetizers at Mantoloking Road Alehouse- 247 Mantoloking Road, Brick, NJ.