Nina A. Morrison

Beloved wife of Lawrence Morrison. Devoted mother of Jeffrey Morrison and his wife Gail, and Susan Wall and her husband John. Cherished grandmother of Jack, Peter, and Kelly Morrison, and Alice Wall. Loving sister of the late Jason Alter and her twin brother, Neil Alter. Daughter of the late James and Alice Alter.

Nina was a remarkable woman of integrity, determination, and grit. She carried a joyful and adventurous spirit throughout her life and took great delight in her many roles — daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, mother-in-law, and nurse.

As a young woman with two brothers, Nina was determined that no opportunity available to men would be unavailable to her. After attending nursing school at Beth Israel Hospital, she earned a bachelor’s degree from Boston University. Next, she embarked on a cross-country adventure, driving her two-door, manual-shift Borgward coupe to San Francisco to earn her master’s degree at UC Berkeley.

Nina took great pride in her long and meaningful career in nursing. She worked at the Marblehead Visiting Nurse Association and later at Chelsea Jewish Lifecare. After retiring, she continued to serve her community by teaching for the Red Cross.

A sense of adventure took Nina around the world, and as a young woman, a three-month trip through Europe sparked a lifetime of travel that included whitewater rafting, visiting National Parks, cruising in Alaska and Europe, hiking in the Swiss Alps, and exploring China, Israel, Hawaii, and even the New Jersey Shore.

Nina cultivated deep and lasting friendships throughout her life, always making room for new, multi-generational connections. She was devoted to her Jewish faith and was an active member and volunteer at Temple Emanu-El for close to 60 years. In 2002, she fulfilled a lifelong dream by studying Hebrew and being called to the Torah as a Bat Mitzvah.

An inquisitive and curious learner, Nina loved new experiences and stayed active in several book clubs and mahjong groups into her 90s. She also cherished the arts, frequently attending the theater, symphony, and ballet. Just last month, she enjoyed Swan Lake at The Boston Opera House.

Above all, Nina was most proud of her family. She married her beloved Larry, a fellow student from Winthrop High School, and together they lovingly raised their children, Jeffrey and Susan. She welcomed their spouses, Gail and John, into the family with open arms. Nina was an adored aunt to her nieces, Rebecca, Rachel, Janice, and Debbie, and her nephews, Aaron and Dan.

But what brought Nina the most joy — and plenty of laughter — were her four grandchildren: Jack, Pete, Kelly, and Alice. Nina was a fun-filled and joyous grandmother who always said “yes” and played an active role in every part of their lives. Her love, presence, and stories will forever shape who they are. She was a very special Nana.

A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, April 8 at 11:00 AM at Temple Emanu-El, 393 Atlantic Avenue, Marblehead with shiva following at her son Jeffrey’s home from 3:00-7:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made in Nina’s memory to Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts (https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-massachusetts) or Temple Emanu-El (https://www.emanu-el.org).