In Memoriam

Irving Morrison '48 After retirement, he fulfilled his life's dream By Lois Shea '95G

Every year before Memorial Day, Concord (N.H.) High School holds an assembly to honor staff and faculty who have served in the armed forces. Last year, when the name of substitute teacher Irving Morrison '48 was announced, something magical happened. Two thousand teenagers rose to their feet and cheered. And cheered. And cheered some more. "You couldn't help but cry," says principal Gene Connolly. "I had tears in my eyes. And I looked over at Irving, and he was crying, too." It was a fitting tribute to the man who was "Concord High's Grandfather," a beloved substitute teacher and ardent Concord High sports fan. "The kids knew that he loved them, and they loved him right back," Connolly says. "Kids pick up right away whether you're for real, and Irving was for real."

Ethan LaFrance is a 17-year-old senior who spoke about Morrison in his National Honor Society induction speech. "I would be running to class... and Mr. Morrison was the one person and the one reason I would slow down and pull it together and take a moment to relax and talk," LaFrance says. "I knew that those moments with him were valuable and—cliche as it sounds—it really would bring joy to my day seeing him."

A biology major at UNH, Morrison grew up in Berlin, N.H. His college years were interrupted by World War II—he served in the Navy from 1943-46 and returned to UNH to finish his degree. He had dreamed of becoming a dentist or a teacher, but when his father became ill, he returned home to run the family dry-cleaning business. Years later, he would take a job managing Concord Cleaners. It was not until he retired that he finally realized his dream of teaching.

Morrison was active in the UNH Alumni Association, and was the longtime treasurer of the Class of 1948. "I think you can't overestimate the importance UNH had to him," says his son, Steve Morrison '78. Morrison played lacrosse at UNH, and remained physically active throughout his life, including downhill skiing until he was 80. His daughter had a hard time keeping up with him when he walked the beach.

Morrison's wife, Marilyn, died in1987. "He worked six days a week, but we always had Sunday family day. In the winter we'd go skiing," his daughter Ruth Nawn says. "In summer, we would always go for picnics in the White Mountains and go swimming."

Morrison was active in his synagogue, serving on the board and starting a food drive. He would spend Christmas Day distributing food to those in need. He also volunteered with Meals on Wheels and the PTA.

He was diagnosed with colon cancer when he was 80. "Right away, he was like, 'I'm going to fight this,' because he loved life so much he didn't want to go," says Nawn. Morrison died in December. He was 87.

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