Sterling C. Morris

Sterling C. Morris was Wilmington Town Manager, WWII vet; 82 WILMINGTON Mr. Sterling C. Morris, 82, of Barefoot Bay, FL, former Wilmington Town Manager, died Thursday, November 1, 2007, in Wilmington. Born in Smyrna Mills, Maine, on Feb. 14, 1925, he was son of the late Charles and Mary (Ramsay) Morris. He was raised in Bangor, Maine, and was educated at Mount Herman Academy in Northfield, MA. Following WWII, Sterling attended University of Maine where he received a Bachelor's Degree in Public Management. Sterling entered active service in the U.S. Army Air Forces during WWII. He belonged to the 404th Bomb Squadron, 28th Bomb Group and was shot down over the Pacific, missing in action for over six months, he was held by the Japanese, as a Prisoner-of-War. He was honorably discharged in 1945, ranked as a Staff Sergeant. He continued serving the country and in 1949 he became an Advanced Reserve Office training at the University of Maine, he became a 2nd Lieutenant with Civil Affairs Branch of the Army, was a Captain of the General Staff at the personnel office, was the Adjutant of the 7th First Battalion of the 172nd Armor Vermont National Guard, and retired ranked as a Major in the U.S. Army Reserves on Feb. 14, 1985. Sterling spent 18 years in Civil Affairs for the Army, and was a recruiter for West Point. Prior to retirement, Sterling served as the Town Manager in Warren, Maine from 1955-1957, Camden, Maine from 1957-1960, St. Albens, VT from 1960-1967, and in Wilmington, MA from 1967-1981 when he retired to Florida. Sterling was the beloved father of Judith L. Puckett and her husband, Carl of Fort Myers, FL, and Pamela M. Shea and her husband, David of Pembroke, MA; loving grandfather of Christopher Shea, Timothy Sterling Shea, and Daniel Shea; brother of Phyllis Edwards of Easton, CT, and Marjorie Mattson of Santa Rosa, CA; dear friend and companion of Priscilla R. Ward, and her family, Edward, Deana, Kenny and Desiree Ward, David, Valerie, James and Delaney Ward, all of Wilmington. MORRIS Sterling C., 82, of Barefoot Bay, FL, formerly of Wilmington, November 1, 2007. Sterling's family will be receiving people at the Nichols Funeral Home, Inc., 187 Middlesex Ave. (Rte. 62), Wilmington, on Monday evening from 7-8 p.m. with a Service to follow at 8:00 p.m. Memorial donations in his name may be made to the Disabled American Veterans, JFK Federal Building 1575B, Boston, MA 02203. U.S. Army Air Forces Veteran WWII. Retired Town Manager, Town of Wilmington.