Mary Richardson "Molly" Morris

Mary Richardson (Molly) Morris died January 15, 2012 after a long and happy life. She was 80 years old. Molly was born in Columbus to Elizabeth Wheeler Richardson and Arleigh Dygert Richardson Jr. on Oct. 4, 1931. She attended Columbus School for Girls, graduated from Smith College and married Frank R. (Rocky) Morris Jr. in June, 1953. After short stints in Norfolk, Va. and Ann Arbor, Mich., during which Rocky was in the Navy and law school, Molly returned to her hometown to raise their four children and pursue innumerable passions. She was a partner in landscaping and antiques businesses, and an author of a book about her family’s backpacking adventures. Primarily, though, she was an indefatigable civic leader and volunteer. One of Molly’s great passions was opera. One of her proudest accomplishments was the 1991 drive to rescue Opera Columbus. As Board President, she led the fundraising campaign that pulled the organization back from the brink of insolvency. She was made a Life Trustee. She was a vital contributor to numerous other community organizations, as well. As a Junior League member, she co-authored a study of Appalachian migrants in Columbus that became the basis for a conference she held the following year. Columbus School for Girls named her Alumna of the Year in 2001 for the scope of her civic work, including serving as president of CSG’s Alumnae Board and Mothers’ Association and Co-Chair of its Centennial. She was president of the Smith College Club of Columbus and a nominating committee member for the college’s board of trustees. As a parishioner of Trinity Episcopal Church, she was a vestry member and junior warden. She was president of both Crichton Club and History Club, a Planned Parenthood board member, Columbus Art Museum docent and a member of Twig No. 2 of Children’s Hospital. As a trustee of Green Lawn Cemetery and president of the Friends of Green Lawn Cemetery Foundation, she worked enthusiastically to the end to increase its endowment and raise funds for trees and greenery to ensure Green Lawn’s future as a lovely arboretum, bird sanctuary, and historical and peaceful visiting spot. What one remembers most about Molly, though, is that she was so much fun. She was an avid outdoorswoman – hunter, fly fisherman, sailor, backpacker and birdwatcher – always deceptively good at what she did because she never took herself too seriously. In an afternoon of fishing, she often caught the most – or the biggest --fish. She once felled two grouse with one shot. She was an enthusiastic sports fan with an unwavering faith in the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Cleveland Indians. She was a gourmet cook, a fastidious gardener, and a crewel embroidery artist, designing an intricate Jacobean-style bedspread and later a pillow cover-to-order for each of her ten grandchildren. She was a terrific storyteller and could hold those grandchildren spellbound for hours – even in a tent in the pouring rain – with stories about her childhood pets. In fact, she was so involved with those kids that she became the subject of one grandchild’s college application essay: Who was the person who had influenced him the most? It was “Grandmolly.” Molly had an indomitable spirit that cancer could not defeat. When her disease tried to pen her in, her world widened as she spotted birds and wildlife through binoculars in the woods behind her home. When she’d exhausted her medical arsenal, she took each grandchild aside and explained that she would continue to live life to the fullest. Just weeks ago, she attended a party. “I would’ve danced,” she said. “But I haven’t yet figured out how to do that in a wheelchair.” Molly is survived by her husband, Frank R. Morris Jr.; four children; Betsy Morris of Atlanta, Marian Burns of Columbus, John Morris, of New York City and Lucy Crotty of Saratoga Springs; two sons-in-law and one daughter-in-law and ten grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents and brother, Arleigh Dygert (Dick) Richardson III. Friends may call from 2-4 PM and 6-8 PM, Thursday, January 19, 2012 at the Schoedinger Funeral Home, 229 E. State St. Columbus, Oh. 43215. A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, January 21, 2012 at 11 AM at Trinity Episcopal Church, 125 East Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made in Molly's name to Columbus School for Girls, 56 S. Columbia Ave., Columbus, OH 43209 (www.columbusschoolforgirls.org), Green Lawn Cemetery, 1000 Green Lawn Ave., Columbus, OH 43223 (www.greenlawncolumbus.org), Opera Columbus, 55 E. State St., Columbus, OH 43215 (www.operacolumbus.org), Trinity Episcopal Church, 125 E. Broad St., Columbus, OH 43215 (www.trinitycolumbus.org), or a charity of your choice.