Michael Em Morrissey

Michael Em Morrissey made the passage to the farther shore on December 4, 2024, while on comfort care at UAMS with his sister and his priest by his side. The funeral will be held Saturday, February 1, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, 12415 Cantrell Rd, Little Rock, AR 72223.

Mike was born in Northampton, Massachusetts on March 15, 1965 to James R. “Jim” Morrissey and Dorothy (Baber) Morrissey. The family soon moved to Fresno, California, for Jim’s next post as a professor in the school of Social Work at Fresno State. After Jim’s death, the family of three moved to Little Rock in 1972 to be close to Mike’s maternal grandparents. Mike and his granddaddy enjoyed discussing and betting on football games.

Mike graduated from Hall High and earned a bachelor’s degree in Radio, TV & Film (minors in journalism and psychology) from UALR, graduating with honors. Mike next obtained a Master’s in technical and expository writing at UALR.

After college, Mike longed to make an impact, first dreaming of following in his father’s social work footsteps, then as a technical writer, Accessibility Specialist with Arkansas Disability Coalition, technical support rep at Alltel Corp, and enumerator at National Agricultural Statistics Service. After work he wrote articles for a number of journals about disability rights and for a time was a paid volunteer ranch events assistant at Heifer Project, International. He went back to school for a paralegal applied science degree from Pulaski Technical College and was accepted into a PhD program at Texas Tech.

Another big goal, to live independently, Mike achieved at age 25. He started out sharing the family rent house on R Street in the Heights, achieving full independence in a string of subsidized, accessible apartments in Little Rock and North Little Rock.

In his 20s, Mike found his church home with St. Michael’s Episcopal. Fellow parishioners will remember Mike for his faithfulness and for the deep voice he brought to his role as lay reader. Mike loved spending hours in his own space with his carefully curated collection of musical recordings, and at the top of his birthday wish lists were concert tickets; accordingly, he saw many of his beloved artists live and always brought back a t-shirt to prove it.

Mike will be remembered by his mother, Dottie Morrissey, and sister, Kelly Morrissey, of North Little Rock, Rev. Elizabeth Henry-McKeever and the members of his pastoral care team along with the rest of his most supportive and loving St. Michael’s Episcopal congregation, his aunt, Patsy Hull and many cousins in New Mexico and Massachusetts. He was predeceased by his father, Dr. James R. Morrissey, his maternal grandparents Lytle Clermont “L.C.” Baber, Emma Baber, and step grandmother Dorothy Hardwick Baber of Little Rock, and paternal grandparents, Captain Chester Morrissey, and Ella Shea Morrissey of Gloucester, Mass.

Memorial donations may be made to St. Michael’s Episcopal Church of Little Rock or to Arkansas Community Organizations (https://www.arkansascommunity.org/)

Arrangements by Arkansas Cremation, 10515 W Markham St, Suite B1, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205. If you would like to leave a message of condolence to the family, you may do so using the Guestbook section.

www.arkansascremation.com