Louise Merritt Morton

In Memory of Louise Merritt Raymond Morton

February 26, 1915 - August 4, 2020

Obituary

Louise R. Morton, 105, of Ithaca, NY died peacefully on August 4, 2020. A native of Corning NY, she resided also in the other New York State cities of Albany, Cortland, and Bath while spending many winters in Sarasota, FL. Louise graduated from Corning’s Northside High School in 1934. She secured employment with the Boy Scouts of America during the Great Depression serving BSA councils in Corning and Albany. She attended the first National BSA Jamboree in Washington, D.C. in 1937 as did President Franklin D. Roosevelt. During the several decades Louise lived in Cortland, she raised her family and pursued a career managing the office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs at SUNY Cortland. She was elected by her SUNY Cortland peers to serve as their union representative, a post involving occasional statewide travel.

Several pastimes marked Louise’s long, full life. She loved train travel. As a young girl, she received free railroad passes from her railroad engineer father using them to travel the rails to visit relatives in Pennsylvania. Later in life, she traveled by train from New York to California and throughout sections of Europe. A petite woman, she was a devoted follower of fashion…a true fashionista! Louise was an avid reader of history, mystery and politics. Her daily interest in political happenings qualified her as a seasoned political “junkie.” With a talent for baking, Louise was renowned for her delicious lemon meringue, apple, pumpkin, and cherry pies.

Louise was an ardent believer in women’s talents and their rights to equal employment opportunities. She respected higher education and engendered such respect in her children who became professional educators. A determined, thoughtful, and compassionate person, she was viewed as a force, a woman ahead of her times.

Louise is survived by her daughter Constance Morton Belsi, son Lawrence James Morton (Jean Ann), granddaughter Laurel Dowling Essi (James), grandson Jack Lawrence Morton (Kateryna), and several nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by her parents, Elva and Frederick Raymond, husband, James Lawrence Morton, and sisters Margaret Carey, Helen Raymond, Marion Tuttle, and Elva Kaleva.

In the interest of science, Louise donated her body to the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology at the SUNY Upstate Medical University for “the advancement of medical education and research.” Ultimately, her remains will be buried with her husband in the Bath National Cemetery in Bath, NY. A memorial service for family will be held at Upstate Medical University at a future date.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 Street Jude Place, Memphis TN 38105.

Her family will be forever grateful for the extraordinary, ongoing support and care extended to Louise by Dr. Lucia Jander, Ithaca, NY; Edna, Edie, and Sarah of Ithaca Hospice; the medical team at Cayuga Medical Center; Nicole, Taylor, Bree and staff at Longview, an Ithacacare Community; Laurel and Jim Essi, Juanita Cobler and Joan Carey.

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