Morley Smith

Des Moines

Morley Blaine Smith, 73, passed away on Sunday, October 14, 2012 at Kavanagh House. Visitation will be 12:30 p.m. Friday, with a memorial service following at 1:30 p.m. at McLaren’s Chapel with burial at Resthaven Cemetery.

Morley was born November 23, 1938 in Peoria, IL to Fred and Ruth Smith. He moved to Chicago as a toddler and spent most of his childhood there before moving to Des Moines. Morley attended Roosevelt High School where he was involved in art, drama and Des Moines Community Playhouse and had the lead role in “Clown That Ran Away”. He volunteered at the Playhouse painting and building scenery at age 14 and spent summers in New York at Summer Stock, where he developed his passion for theatre set design.

After high school, Morley attended Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, PA to study theatre and stage costume design. He moved to Tulsa, OK and worked as a costume designer and opened up an interior design store before returning to Des Moines where he worked at Meredith Corporation for the next decade.

Morley left Des Moines in the early 1970s and opened up a set design company in Indianapolis. He returned to Des Moines in the early 1980s where he operated Carriage Florist until the early 1990s. Morley retired and continued his passion for art, working in various art mediums over the next 20 years.

His last years were spent volunteering at The Des Moines Playhouse, earning the Dick Brown award for his dedication and passion.

Morley is survived by his sister, Jane Gillaspey; nephews and niece, Blaine, Amanda and Andy (Pam) Gillaspey; four great-nieces and a great-nephew.

Memorial contributions may be made to Kavanagh House on 56th.