Edwin Blackhurst Morrell

1929 ~ 2017
Edwin Blackhurst Morrell passed away peacefully following a stroke on December 31, 2017 in Provo, Utah. He was born in Worland, Wyoming on February 9, 1929 to William Ernest Morrell and Margaret Blackhurst Morrell Bird. He and his older siblings, Eleanor Morrell Balls and Grant Morrell, were raised in Salt Lake City by their beloved mother with the help of their grandmother, Mae Blackhurst.
Ed graduated from East High School and attended the University of Utah, where he chose to study Russian as his foreign language, before being called to serve a mission to Czechoslovakia in 1948. Before leaving Salt Lake City, he was invited to eat dinner with the parents of his mission president, Wallace Toronto. There he met Wallace's sister, Norma Toronto, who was to become his wife.
Ed and his fellow missionaries were expelled from Czechoslovakia by the Communist government, and Ed completed his missionary service in England. His experience in Czechoslovakia as a young missionary proved to be a pivotal experience in his life, leading to a PhD from Harvard in Russian Studies and a career at Brigham Young University as a Political Science professor, specializing in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.
After returning to Salt Lake City in 1954, following his mission and military service in Germany, Ed reconnected with Norma Toronto. They were married three months later in the Salt Lake LDS Temple, on September 10, 1954.
Norma and Ed loved to travel together, especially while engaged in church service. They served two times as mission president and mission mother, first from 1981-84 in the East European and Austria Vienna Missions and then from 1996-98 in the Czech Prague Mission. They were perfect companions; Ed was talented with languages, and Norma communicated with love. Ed treasured his opportunities to serve in the church. Most recently he served as a sealer in the Provo Temple.
Ed is survived by his sister, Eleanor Balls; his daughters, Ann (Ryan) Thomas, Barbara Morrell, Kathleen (Dave) Lynch, Susan (Scott) Cherry, and Betsy (Lance) Redford; 18 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his dear wife, Norma, their daughter, Christine Morrell and their grandsons, Sean Thomas and Mitchell Cherry.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, January 5, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at the Provo Peak 2nd Ward Building, 965 N. Locust Lane, Provo, UT. Viewings will be at Berg Mortuary, 185 East Center St., Provo, UT on Thursday, January 4, 2018 from 6- 8:00 p.m. and at the church on Friday from 10- 10:45 a.m. prior to services. Interment, Provo City Cemetery. Condolences may be expressed at www.bergmortuary.com.
In Lieu of flowers, please donate to the LDS Church Missionary Fund.