Mary Ruth Morgan

She was born to Lois (Knapp) and Burton Michael at home near Crescent, OK on December 6, 1923. She was the oldest of 7 children. The family moved to the Belfair area in 1936 after leaving the farm during the Great Dust Bowl. She attended South Kitsap Union High School and graduated in 1941. The Michael family moved to Wenatchee in 1942 and Mary stayed in Belfair to continue her work and education.

While clerking at the Belfair Post Office and General Store she met and eventually married John Morgan. They devoted 48 years to each other and their family. She started training as a nurse at Cabrini Hospital in Seattle, and received her certificate as a Registered Nurse in 1952.

Mary worked as a nurse in a variety of capacities during her career. She was quite proud of her Nurses Cap. She was the Head Nurse of Emergency for Harrison Hospital when they occupied the current site in 1965.

Mary & John moved to the Manette area of Bremerton in 1953, where they resided for many years, raising 4 children.

She adopted the Catholic faith and was a member of Star of the Sea Parish, participating in the Young Ladies Institute (YLI) and was a past President for many years.

Mary & John travelled extensively and participated in community service after retirement, delivering Chuck Wagon meals to homebound and elderly people and other Senior Center activities. Mary also utilized her nursing skills after retirement by performing dialysis for many local patients.

Mary was active in Girl Scouts in her youth, hiking and fishing in the Olympics. Fishing continued to be an enjoyable recreation to her. In later years, Mary & John took annual trips to Alaska for fishing. After John passed, she continued for over 20 years, taking her sons and grandsons in rotation, on an annual weeklong trip to fish for silver salmon in Ketchikan.

Mary bore the loss of virtually all of her earthly goods, and her travel and golf companion Hugh Sharpe, in the Kona Village Apartment Fire in 1997 with the stoic perseverance with which she faced every other adversity.

Mary enjoyed gardening and travel with family and friends. She took multiple trips to Mariners Spring Training, and traveled to many European destinations. She delighted in watching ice figure skating, baseball, and a wide variety of musical performances.

She instilled in her children enjoyment of music, outdoor activities and perseverance.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and her brother, Lieutenant Colonel George Robert Michael (Retired). She is survived by her 4 children, Michael Morgan, John Morgan, David Morgan (Jan), and Mari Kim Demko (Rick); 8 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; her siblings, Pat Brown (Don), Betty Byrd (Gene), Gary Michael (Mary), John Michael of Chelan County, and Burton Michael (Marian) of Edmonds.

We would like to express our gratitude to the staff of Stafford Suites, Pottery Ave, Port Orchard, for their participation in her life and care for the last several years, and Stafford at Belmont for their treatment, care and support during her final days.

She is being cremated. A Funeral Mass will be held at Star of the Sea Church at 11:00 am on 14 Jun 2013, preceded by a rosary at 10:30. A private inurnment will be held later.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mary’s name to the Young Ladies Institute at Star of the Sea Parish or St. Vincent de Paul.