Gene Morris

1930 - 2024

Gene Milton Morris died on March 29, 2024 in Frederick, Maryland, at the age of 93. Born in Kirksey, Kentucky, Gene was the fourth son of the late Dallas Este Morris and Ruby (Smith) Morris. The family moved to Maryland when Gene was a child, where he graduated from Gaithersburg High School.

Gene served in the United States Army from 1951 to 1954, spending two years in Tokyo, Japan, in the Army Security Agency. During his military service, Gene honed his love of puzzles and words, and his cryptic responses to probing inquiries about his duties. This served him well in his work for law firms in New York City from the late 1960s through the 1980s, and in unerringly completing the New York Times Sunday crossword-in ink-even after he retired in the early 90s and returned to Gaithersburg to be closer to family.

Gene loved travel, drama, classical organ music, and treating family to a musical and brunch atop the World Trade Center whenever we visited. He also relished trouncing us at Scrabble and never missing an opportunity for a little witty banter or wry commentary.

His surviving nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, and their spouses are grateful for his generosity and will fondly remember his verbal prowess. Gene is predeceased by his three older brothers: Harold, J.D., and Paul.

Services will be private. Gene Morris