Richard P. Morris
...Retired Tewksbury Firefighter; former Selectman; Tewksbury Hospital Trustee; Lion; age 80
TEWKSBURY - Richard P. Morris, age 80, a leader of the community and retired firefighter,
died Monday morning, March 5, at the Tewksbury Hospital after a long period of declining
health. He was the husband for 50 years of Marion E. (Parece) Morris, who died in 1999.
He was born in Natick, on January 6, 1927, a son of the late John T. and Eileen (Barnacle)
Morris. He was raised in Arlington, and graduated from the Arlington High School. He had
resided in Tewksbury since 1950.
Upon graduation he served in the U.S. Navy as a Torpedo-man 3rd Class in the Navy’s submarine
corps.
Upon discharge, he became a Firefighter in Arlington, and worked for the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts’ Engineering Department. He transferred to the Tewksbury Fire Department as a
Call Firefighter in 1954, and was appointed as a full time firefighter in 1959. Mr. Morris retired in
December 1974. He was a member and past president of the International Association of Fire
Fighters, Local 1647. In his retirement years, he worked at the Barry Bruce Golf School at the
Billerica Country Club.
Mr. Morris served the Town of Tewksbury as a member of the Board of Selectman for six years,
and served as Chairman of the Selectmen from 1979 to 1980, and again from 1982 to 1983. He
had served on the Board of Trustees for Tewksbury Hospital since 1981, and was honored by the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts when the State named the Administration Building at
Tewksbury Hospital, the Richard P. Morris Building . In 2004, Mr. Morris was recognized by
the town as Man of the Year, and given the job of Grand Marshall of the 4th of July Town Parade.
He served as the 1st Chairman of the Friends of the Tewksbury Library, served on the Municipal
Building Committee, Recreation Committee, Board of Appeals, was the 1st Chairman of the
Tewksbury Cable Committee, 1st Chairman of the Homecoming Committee, Chairman of the
Town Common Rebuilding Committee, and Chairman of the Veterans Memorial Committee.
As a faithful and Life Member, Past King Lion, and member of the Board of Directors of the
Tewksbury Lions Club, he was honored with the Melvin Jones and the Charles E. Kostro Awards,
the highest awards given by Lions International. He was a member of the Tewksbury-Wilmington
Elks Lodge 2070, Past Commander and Life Member of the Tewksbury D.A.V. Post 110, and
Life member of the Tewksbury V.F.W. Post 8164.
Mr. Morris attended both Northeasten University, and M.I.T, and was co-founder of the Third
Alarm firefighting equipment company.
As a resident of Arlington, “Dick” as he was known to most, was a member of St. Agnes Parish,
and in Tewksbury, St. William’s Parish.
He is survived by three daughters, Linda and her husband William Dalton of No. Chelmsford,
Louise Morris-Mahoney of Chelmsford, and Kathleen and her husband Richard McClellan of
Tewksbury; six beloved grandchildren, Melissa (Dalton)(Martin) and her husband Jason Lavoie,
Stephanie (Dalton) and her husband Ralph Bush, Jennifer (Mahoney) and her husband Jeffrey
Moore, Rebecca Mahoney, Kiley McClellan, and Adam McClellan; nine great grandchildren,
Brittany, William, and Kaitlyn Martin, Ryan Moore, Ralph William and Sasha Bush, Heather,
Zachary, and Corynne Lavoie; a brother, Edward and his wife Carmen of Calif.; a sister, Rita Bent
of Arlington; his brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Mary Lou Morris of Tewksbury, Bill Grayson
of Fla., Harry Ryerson of Arlington; many nieces nephews, and lifelong friends.
He was also brother of the late Donald Morris, Eileen Grayson, Anne Ryerson, John Morris and
Robert Morris.
His Funeral Mass was celebrated Friday, March 9, in St. William’s Church, Tewksbury. Burial with Navy Honors was at Tewksbury Cemetery. Memorials to the
Tewksbury Hospital, Patient Recreation Fund, c/o Administration, 365 East St. Tewksbury, MA
01876 will be appreciated.