Vela Imogene Morrow

Vela was a vibrant, independent, and generous person. She was always ready to entertain friends and family and loved to share her good fortunes, life experiences, and opinions. She had a passion for music and dancing and was often found listening to her player piano or heading out to “go boogie” well into her 90s. Vela was a dedicated mother, beloved wife, devoted grandmother, respected colleague, and cherished friend.

Vela was born as the third youngest of seven children on a family farm in Tishomingo, Oklahoma in 1925. After graduating from high school, she attended the Spartan School of Aeronautics to learn electrical phases of the oil industry, which resulted in her employment by the Century Geophysical Laboratory as a seismometer and galvanometer technician. In 1951, she wed her husband, Harold Morrow, and relocated to Dallas, Texas. There she began her lifelong career in the aerospace and defense industry where she has the unique honor of being the first woman electronic technician employed by Chance Vought. During the course of her aerospace career she also worked at Texas Instruments and Lockheed Martin on projects such as the Regulus and ATACMS missile programs, the A7 Corsair and F-16 fighter aircraft and the International Space Station.

Vela was preceded in death by her husband, Harold Wesley Morrow; parents, Jesse Bryant Hobbs and Helen Etoil Bonner; 6 sisters, Cecil Hornsby, Marjorie Young, Virginia Cheadle, Lorene Hobbs, Donna Baudot and Cleo Shepherd; nephew, Tyrone Baudot; and niece, Shelia Hobbs.

She is survived by her daughter, Marcia Word of Arlington, TX; grandson, Steven (Tiffani) Word of Austin, TX; brother, Jesse “Bryant” (Ethel) Hobbs Jr. of San Antonio, TX; 2 nephews, Bobby Hornsby and Gary Hobbs; 5 nieces, Judy (John) Rex, Cherie (Max) Summerville, Vicki Shepherd, Sharon Hobbs and Barbara Hobbs; former spouse Melvin Eugene Moss, stepchildren, Melvin "Butch" (Jill) Moss Jr. and Judy (Brent) Hollis; and many friends and loved ones.

There will be no formal service at Vela‘s request. A Celebration of Vela’s life will be announced at a later date. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.moore-funeralhome.com.