Harold Barton Morley

Harold Barton Morley (nee Hider Sherif Mohamed) of Ann Arbor, Michigan (formerly of St. Michaels, Maryland) passed away peacefully on April 16, 2023, surrounded by the love of his family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Sherif and Rabie Mohamed; his sisters, Jeanette Daugherty, Faye Eidy, Dottie Rizzo and Mary Jane Oloween; and his brothers James "Bud" Mohamed and Lee Mohamed.

He is survived by his children, Thomas (Teresa) Mohamed of Santa Cruz, California, Terrie Sue (Tom) Walsh of Elk Grove, California, Mark (Jennifer) Morley of Mounds, Oklahoma, Steven (Nancy) Morley of Elmhurst, Illinois, and Kimberly (Raleigh Woods) Morley of Ann Arbor, Michigan; 10 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and countless cousins, nieces and nephews, grand-dogs and great grand-dogs.

He was very proud of his Lebanese heritage and family tradition played a big part in his life. He was "Uncle" to several generations and the last remaining family member of his own generation.

"Hider," "Hal" or "Mo," depending on where you knew him, lived larger than life. He was born to immigrant parents in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on Jan. 23, 1932. He was the sixth of seven children. They soon moved to Michigan City, Indiana, where he spent the remainder of his childhood.

He made lifelong friends at Elston High School, many of whom he was still in touch with at the time of his death. He became the first in his family to graduate from college and went on to earn his PhD from Northwestern University.

Thus began his career in higher education. He made stops at Elmhurst College (twice), Northeastern Illinois University and back at Northwestern before ultimately landing at Temple University. He was there nearly 20 years before he retired as vice president of development of the Health Sciences in 1999.

He spent the remainder of his years until 2021 living in St. Michaels, Maryland, and crisscrossing the country visiting his children, grandchildren and extended family in Illinois, Oklahoma, California, Michigan and all parts in-between. He also traveled extensively overseas and loved keeping in touch with friends he made along the way.

He simply added his new friends to his large circle of old friends. He scribbled their names and numbers in the margins of his annual planners and called them out of the blue, just to say "hi." He kept in touch with just about everyone who crossed his path and many were the lucky recipients of annual holiday hams and turkeys or Whirly-Pop popcorn makers.

If he liked something, he wanted everyone else to experience it, too. He ordered so many Whirly-Pops the company told him if he purchased 25 he could get distributer pricing. So of course he did and everyone got a Whirly-Pop for whatever occasion they were celebrating.

He had a big personality, a big voice and wasn't short on opinions. He stepped on a few toes along the way, but there was never any doubt about where he stood on any variety of topics. He demanded the best, despite how uncomfortable his children were while waiting to be reseated at a better table or listening to him explain to an unwitting waitress how a dish prepared at some far away restaurant is better than how it is on their menu. He knew what he wanted and wasn't going to stop until he got it. Something that continued to the end, as the waitstaff at the All Seasons dining room can attest to.

He loved movies and was a diehard sports fan. His teams included the Chicago Bulls, Chicago Bears, the University of Michigan, and his absolute favorite, the St. Louis Cardinals. He loved baseball and going to spring training with his grandsons, Jon and James. The MLB Extra Innings channel along with Turner Classic Movies were a godsend the last two years. Just as he could recite random baseball statistics for the last 100 years, he knew the plot line of every movie and the name of every actor on TCM. His mind and memory remained as sharp as ever.

In 2021, at the age of 89, he was living his best life in St Michaels, Maryland. Attempts to lure him away to be nearer to any one of his children failed. He had a large circle of friends and a social life that surpassed those half his age. He was fit and healthy and had taken care of himself his whole life. We thought he would live to 100.

That changed on May 8, 2021, when he was hit head-on by a distracted driver while traveling from his home in St. Michaels to Easton, Maryland, for a mani-pedi. Despite all odds, he survived the accident. After a month in the ICU in Baltimore he moved to Ann Arbor for extended rehab.

In October 2021, he moved to All Seasons Independent Living and lived there until his death. The All Seasons community welcomed him with open arms. As he did wherever he went, he made many wonderful friends, highlighted by breakfast with the boys every morning. Although moving to Ann Arbor wasn't part of his original plan, he found a wonderful community and had a rich life, despite the physical limitations that were the result of his accident.

We are eternally grateful for those who made his last two years possible and those who cared for him until the end. The medical care he received was world class and the aides who were with him around the clock treated him as family – and he did not make it easy on them. He was a challenging man, but well-loved and big-hearted. He will be greatly missed and not soon forgotten.

In lieu of flowers, please consider continuing Harold's love of reading and honoring his special connection to the St. Michaels Library by donating to the St. Michaels Library in his memory. Please make checks payable to: Talbot County Free Library Foundation (and note, "In Memory of Harold Morley"), 100 W. Dover St., Easton, MD, 21601. Donations in his honor may also be made online at http://www.tcfl.org/about/ donate.html.

A celebration of Harold's life will be held on Aug. 5 at the Miles River Yacht Club, 24750 Yacht Club Rd., St. Michaels, Maryland, from 1-4 p.m. Public welcome.