Carl Alexander Morris

March 11, 1918 - January 18, 2011

Carl Alexander Morris, 92, M/Sgt, USAF (Ret.) died Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at Life Care Center Of Columbia after an extended illness. A Celebration Of Life memorial service will be held at Heritage Funeral Home on Saturday, January 29th, 2011.
Carl was born in Birmingham, Alabama on March 11, 1918 to Eli T. Morris III and Sarah Alexander Morris but Carl considered Memphis, TN. as his hometown. He graduated from Tech High School and joined Army Air Corps in 1941. Carl saw action in World War II in the European Air Offensive in Normandy and Ardennes, France, supervising supply for aircraft fighter crews; being honorably discharged in 1945. He was recalled to service in 1952 during the Korean Conflict returning to active duty as a Staff Sergeant in the newly formed United States Air Force, and continuing a 23 year military career. Carl saw service in Germany, at a number of stateside assignments and in the offices of The Stars and Stripes newspaper in Tokyo, Japan during the early days of the Viet Nam war. During Carl’s tenure in the Air Force he was awarded a number of commendations including: American Defense Service Medal; European African Middle East Service Medal with one Silver Star and one Bronze Star; Distinguished Unit Badge, and Good Conduct medal with five loops. His retirement from active duty in 1967 led to a second career as the supervisor of printing operations at Holiday Inn University. Prior to his move to Columbia, TN he was a resident of Ocala, Florida for thirty years. Life-long members of the Church of Christ, the Morris’s are members of Columbia’s West 7th Street Church meeting at The Bridge at Columbia. He was a member of the DAV, and was named 1989-1990 Volunteer Of The Year at Ocala Civic Theater, Ocala, Florida.
Carl was a lover of the outdoors. He was an avid golfer having played the game for nearly 80 years and was a member of the prestigious “Hole-In-One” club. Fishing, camping and photography were , also passions and he delighted in teaching the finer points of them to his grandchildren. He took great pride in his children, grandchildren, many nieces and nephews as well as his large family of siblings. Upon his return to Tennessee, he was pleased to discover that his paternal grandfather, Eli T. Morris II of Nashville, served in the Tennessee State Legislature at the turn of the 20th century while his maternal grandparents were life long residents of Leiper’s Fork, TN, and Carter’s Creek, TN. They were married by David Lipscomb.
Carl also was fond of music, the old hymns and the 40’s standards in particular, and beamed when his children and grandchildren would visit and entertain him with song. Neither the tumbling of time or infirmities of age could keep him from recalling and humming a familiar tune.
Mr. Morris is survived by his wife Jane (Tisdale) Morris, Columbia, TN.; daughter, Joyce (Fred) Mullen, Water Valley, TN; son Ivan C. “Dutch” (Mollie) Morris, Amarillo, TX; six grandchildren: Teri (Doug) Haigh, Sharon (George) Britton, David (Nicole) Mullen, Dana (Jeff) Gower, Amy Morris, Julie (Mike) Tentrup, fifteen great-grandchildren; a sister, Sydney Totty, Memphis, TN; brother Enoch (Juila) Morris, Milan, TN and special friend Kay (David) Monteaux. He was preceded in death by his parents, sisters Mildred (Ernie) Skillern and Dian (Malcom) Siler; brothers Eli T. (Modelle) Morris IV, and Garland Morris.
The Celebration of Life with military honors will be held at the Heritage Funeral Home at 609 Bear Creek Pike in Columbia, TN on Saturday, January 29th at 2 o’clock p.m. Friends and relatives are invited to attend. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested memorials be made to Baby Girls Club, a racially diverse outreach and mentoring program for young-girls-at-risk established by David and Nicole C. Mullen in Franklin, TN. Donations may be mailed to: Baby Girls Club, 251 2nd Ave. South, Suite 102, Franklin, TN 37064.