Celestina "Sally" Armida Vezzetti Morgan

Celestina "Sally" Armida Vezzetti Morgan passed away on July 29, 2026, in Ballard, Seattle, Washington at the amazing age of 106. The youngest of three children, Sally was born in Newcastle, Washington to Pietro (Peter) Vezzetti and Caterina (Catherine) DeLaurenti Vezzetti, both immigrants from the Piemonte region of Italy, Cuorgne and Ciconio, respectively. After moving to Renton and later up to Beacon Hill, Sally graduated from Grover Cleveland High School in 1938 and upon graduation began working as a shop girl in Frederick & Nelson's department store in downtown Seattle. That's when her life began to take a rather unconventional turn.

Her mother, Catherine, instilled in both Sally and her older sister, Angeline, from an early age the necessity of finding a good-paying job with a pension and benefits so that they would "never have to depend solely on a man. " Sally took that advice to heart and began taking business correspondence courses at night, paid for by her sister, Angie, and she eventually took the Civil Service exam in late November 1941. Less than two weeks later, on December 8, 1941, Sally's newly acquired stenography and secretarial skills were put to immediate use working for the US Military - first for the Army, then the Army Air Corp and finally the Navy.

Sally excelled working for the US Military down along the Seattle waterfront during World War 2, but after the war she became a bit bored with her job and life prospects and her innate thirst for adventure began to gnaw away. So, in 1950, Sally jumped at the chance to work for the Navy in Yokohama, Japan. She packed up her things, boarded a train to California, jumped on a military transport plane to Hawaii and then another to Japan, and began an eventful stint in Yokohama during the entirety of the Korean War.

Upon her return to the States in 1954, Sally still didn't feel the need or desire to settle down, so she continued working for the Navy while living in Arlington, Virginia for a couple of years, finally returning to her hometown in 1956. It was around that time she met a Navy veteran and Ballard native named Joe H. Morgan who did the one thing that could possibly tame Sally's heart and make her settle down: he could dance.

And dance they did: from their marriage in 1961 until Joe's death in 2012, Sally and Joe went dancing every chance they could, at every venue throughout Puget Sound. It was their passion. Not that dancing was Sally's only pursuit - she also played softball and was a competitive bowler for decades - but ballroom dancing captured her heart and kept her young.

Sally continued working for the military after her marriage but eventually segued into a position with King County Elections and finally with the US Postal Service, retiring in late 1971. Not long after her retirement, Sally and Joe moved into a brand-new home in the Whittier Heights neighborhood of Ballard, and for over 40 years Sally played her organ, read voraciously, played Solitaire, visited with friends, neighbors and relatives and, of course, danced. She never wanted children - she said kids made her nervous and she didn't find them particularly interesting - but somehow kids, both new and old, adored Sally. So, the woman who never wanted kids ended up adopting quite a few of her neighbors along the way... or maybe it was the other way around.

In 2016, Sally, now a widow at 96 years of age, was "encouraged" by some of those neighbors to move into a new retirement facility in Ballard called Merrill Gardens, and for the next 10 years Sally held court as the Belle of Ballard.

She was often asked what her secret to such amazing longevity was, and she never really could think of an answer. Perhaps, in addition to amazing genetics and staying mentally and physically active until the very end, Sally's secret was always having a positive outlook and being comfortable with herself in her own skin. Sally always knew who she was and what she wanted to be, and her positive outlook on life was infectious. Her passing leaves an almost indescribable void in the lives of her friends, relatives, neighbors and virtually anyone who ever had the pleasure of crossing her path.

Sally is survived by a nephew, Dennis Vezzetti, of Woodinville; cousin Gloria Duffey of Renton; cousins Linda DeLaurenti Rhoton and Nicole Rhoton Howell, Burien; cousins Roberta Logue and Diane Seitz, Renton; nieces Diana Hansen and Susan Heiner, Seattle; niece Nancy Lee Morgan, Port Hadlock; nephew Michael Morgan, Bainbridge Island; and extended family, friends and neighbors throughout western Washington. She was predeceased by her husband, Joe H. Morgan; her brother, Martin J. Vezzetti; and her sister, Angeline Vezzetti Molinaro.

Special thanks go to the entire staff of Merrill Gardens Ballard who made Sally's life richer beyond compare. The family cannot thank all of you enough and we are forever indebted to you for your kindness.

Extra special thanks go to Sally's caregiver, Freyea Denekew, who gave her a new lease on life during her final months.

In lieu of flowers, please consider remembering Sally by contributing to the Wounded Warriers Project or to Union Gospel Mission, Seattle.

A funeral service will be held at Evergreen Washelli Funeral Home on August 9th at 1:00pm.