Father Daniel W. Morrissey O.P.

Daniel William Powers Morrissey died of cancer on December 20, 2024, in Rye, New
Hampshire. Daniel has no immediate survivors, though he leaves a host of friends across
multiple generations, all enriched by their association with this extraordinary individual.
That he died on the cusp of the Winter Solstice, when the world turns toward the light,
would seem cosmically appropriate to all those whose lives he touched.
Born in Madison, Wisconsin on January 27, 1936, the only child of Lewis and Thrascilla
Morrissey, and known through childhood as 'Billy', Daniel was drawn early into the religious
tradition of his family, feeling called to the priesthood at a young age. Having decided to
enter the Dominican order, he enrolled in the Dominican House of Studies in River Forest,
IL., and was ordained a priest in 1962, adopting the priestly name 'Daniel'. He proudly
carried the Dominican designation "Order of Preachers" (O.P.) as part of his name for the
remainder of his life. Yet this was only the beginning of his collection of scholarly
credentials, which came to include degrees from the Aquinas Institute of Theology in St.
Louis, earning a Ph.Lic. Degree in 1959 and an M.A. in 1963, culminating in Ph.D. studies at
the Institute Catholique de Paris in 1968.
Paris would be the place of Daniel's first extended assignment as a Dominican, where from
1964 to 1969 he directed the first teacher training program for the Archdiocese of Paris.
Already his vocation began to spill out in creative directions beyond the conventional
priestly work of liturgy, teaching and pastoral care. A chance meeting with Sargent Shriver
prompted the then-U.S. Ambassador to France to offer Daniel an appointment as an
advisor in moral philosophy during the time of the Vietnam Peace Talks then taking place in
Paris. Daniel was a frequent guest at the Shrivers' dinner table, adding an ethical and
moral perspective to discussions of policy and protocol. Ambassador Shriver also asked
Daniel to celebrate a Midnight Christmas Mass at Sainte Chapelle, at which Daniel wore
vestments designed by Henri Matisse, an event which drew international notice. His
friendship with the Shrivers and Kennedys would continue and later include visits to
Hyannisport for various family events. During this time Daniel befriended the celebrated
French actress, Annabella (previously married to Tyrone Power) while they were visiting
inmates at a Paris prison. His friendship with Annabella and, later, with her daughter Anne
Werner, would flourish until Anne's death in 2011.
Daniel's expansive sense of his pastoral, academic and priestly vocation, first evident in
Paris, would be a hallmark of his every career move over the next 40 years. Leaving Paris in
1970, Daniel was appointed to the faculty of Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, NH, one of
the nation's most distinguished independent secondary schools. During a 9-year career
there, Daniel served as Instructor of Religion, Chair of the Religion Department and School
Minister. His courses dealt with the predictable themes of morality, philosophy,
existentialism, spirituality; but his way of inviting students to engage them sparkled,
particularly with his love of language; poetry, fiction and biography imbued with Daniel's
ingenious and sometimes impish touch, enthralled and inspired students and launched
many of them into lifelong journeys of spirit and service. Many friendships formed with
students, colleagues, not to mention cooks and groundskeepers, would follow him
through the remaining decades of his life.
Brief appointments at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA and the Vista Sandia
Psychiatric Hospital in Albuquerque were followed by a 20-year career at Columbia
University. At Columbia, by the time of his retirement, in 2008, Daniel had again assumed
a variety of roles, not only Chaplain but also Faculty Associate in the Center for Bioethics,
Assistant Clinical Professor in the School of Public Health, and Assistant Vice President for
Health Services.
Daniel's career at Columbia led to numerous Invitations to serve on state and national
medical boards, positions that would leave him flying to this city or that, at a somewhat
frantic pace, among them, the National Board of Medical Examiners, the National
Residency Matching Program, the Federation of State Medical Boards and the New York
State Board for Professional Medical Conduct. Distinguished Service Awards from these
organizations would pile up in recognition of his contributions to their work. To add some
international flavor to his resume, in 1993 he served as the Representative from The
Vatican to the Oomoto International Conference on Peace, Prayer, and Poetry in Kyoto,
Japan.
While Daniel's service to institutions and boards won him wide respect in both ecumenical
and secular circles, his ways of being present to people gathered for any of life's
occasions-weddings, baptisms, christenings, dedications, and all manner of other
ceremonies-won him the deep affection of admirers of all generations. Though he never
kept a list, surely these numbered in the hundreds. He was much in demand as a guest
preacher and spiritual teacher and graced some of New York's most distinguished pulpits:
Riverside Church, the Cathedral of St. John the Devine, and Marble Collegiate Church,
among many others. His homilies and sermons, exhortations and blessings, toasts and
quips were always seasoned with reliably perfect literary references, whether from e.e.
cummings or Ogden Nash, Aquinas or Tillich, War and Peace or Le Petit Prince.
Then there were the funerals and celebrations of life, such as the one in New York for John
Gregory Dunne where Daniel shared the speaking duties with David Halberstam and Calvin
Trillin. Reporting on the event, the New York Post mentioned that lineup and then stated,
"the 'star' of the event...was Fr. Daniel Morrissey...asked why a Jesuit was not handling the
service, he quipped: 'I think the Dominicans are better dressed!'" Words from Daniel were
certain to both enliven and dignify any event.
After retirement from Columbia, Daniel moved back to New Hampshire. Here he
continued his work on various medical boards, as well as serving as a longtime member of
the Board of Trustees of Heronfield Academy, a local independent day school. Surely the
greatest demand of his time was spent maintaining and nourishing his abundant
friendships. Visits to Daniel or telephone calls commonly resulted in hours-long
conversations on all manner of topics, leaving one with an even greater appreciation of the
sustaining and elevating value of friendship.
Evidence of what defined Daniel's life filled his North Hampton home. Shelves and
shelves of books, more than a few written by his friends, a library reflective of Daniel's
broad interests and intellectual curiosity; artwork from Paris, India and elsewhere,
reminders of the expansive travels over his long career; framed letters of thanks from
admirers and citations from organizations attesting to Daniel's impact on their work. Most
of all, an abundance of framed snapshots of former students, friends and colleagues
whom he'd married or who'd been touched by him in some way. Having spent nearly seven
decades practicing the ministry of presence, Daniel lived abundantly in his final years in
the spiritual presence of these friendships. He is survived by legacies of hope, courage,
purpose and joy among the wide circles of devoted admirers whose lives his
companionship enriched so indelibly.
A funeral Mass for Daniel will be celebrated at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Rye, New Hampshire at 3:00
PM on Wednesday, February 5.
A Memorial Service for Daniel will be held at Phillips Church on the campus of Phillips Exeter Academy at
2:00 on Saturday, April 26, followed by a reception at the Exeter Inn.