William Morse

William "Bill" Morse, 82, a lifelong resident of Las Vegas, and 54 year member of the State Bar of Nevada, passed away Monday, Dec. 6, 2004. Born in Silver Creek, Neb., Nov. 21, 1922, Bill and his parents, Harold M. Morse and Lucille Reeder Morse, moved to Las Vegas in 1932. He met his future wife, Betty Sullivan Morse shortly after his arrival. Bill graduated from Las Vegas High School in 1940, where he was the starting quarterback on the Wildcat football team. His undergraduate study at the University of Nevada at Reno, where he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and the Sundowners, was interrupted by the attack on Pearl Harbor. A naval aviator, Bill served with distinction in the North Atlantic and Pacific theaters, piloting a TBM Avenger bomber and retired as a lieutenant commander of the U.S. Naval Air Corps. Following his service in World War II, Bill resumed his undergraduate education at the University of California, Berkeley, and then enrolled at Hastings College of Law where he earned his juris doctor degree. Bill returned to Southern Nevada in 1950, and began his legal career, joining his father's firm, Morse & Graves. Known for their exemplary trial skills, Bill and his father practiced law together until Harold Morse's death Dec. 7, 1966. Bill was active in Republican Party causes all of his career, serving as the Clark County Republican Chair in 1966. A past president of the Clark County Bar Association, Bill was appointed as a district judge of the 8th Judicial District by Governor Paul D. Laxalt in 1970. After serving with distinction, Bill returned to private practice in 1971, when he formed the law firm he would practice with until his death. In 1985, then Governor Richard H. Bryan appointed Bill to serve on the State of Nevada Commission on Ethics, where he served with distinction for 10 years. For the past 20 years, Bill practiced law with Morse & Mowbray, with his son, Harold M. Morse, John H. Mowbray and Christopher H. Byrd. Bill was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting and fishing. A founding member of the Spanish Trail Country Club, Bill enjoyed playing golf. Bill was supportive of many Southern Nevada institutions, including Bishop Gorman High School, U.N.L.V., the Boulder Dam Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, and Ducks Unlimited. Bill's survivors include his wife, Margaret "Betty" Sullivan Morse; sister, Molly Morse Griswold Budding; sons, Harold M. Morse, Timothy R. Morse and John W. Morse; and seven grandchildren. A funeral mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m., this Friday, Dec. 10, at Our Lady of Las Vegas Catholic Church, located at the corner of Campbell and Alta Drive. Visitation will be from 4-6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9, at Palm Mortuary-Downtown, 1325 N. Main St., with a rosary following the visitation. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Bishop Gorman High School's Capital Campaign, 1801 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89104.