Hail & Farewell Dick Morrissey

RICHARD JOHN  (DICK) MORRISSEY JR. was born in Yonkers, New York, to Richard and Lillian Osborne Morrissey, on February 13, 1935. He went to be with his Lord on January 19, 2017.  He lost his two-year battle with melanoma.

 

Dick attended PS#16 and Gorton High School, where he was actively involved in clubs, the Color Guard, and football. He received an AAS Degree in Construction Technology from Westchester Community College in White Plains, where he played Basketball, ran Track and Cross Country.

 

After one year in the Army National Guard in Yonkers, and two years active duty in the Army Artillery at Ft. Niagara, New York, and the Army Reserve, Dick continued his studies at Pratt Institute School of Architecture, in Brooklyn.

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In 1959, he married Dorothy Roeder of The Bronx, and together they made their home in Yonkers. Dick studied Civil Engineering at City College of New York and worked as an Engineer/Inspector/surveyor with the Westchester County Public Works.

 

Dick and Dorothy moved to San Jose, California in 1962. Dick worked at United Technologies in their Facilities Design Group and attended San Jose State College and Heald College of Engineering in San Francisco simultaneously. He graduated from Heald with a BS in Civil Engineering, while working for MacKay & Somps Civil Engineers in Sunnyvale.

 

After earning his California license in Civil Engineering, and his Oregon Civil Engineering and Land Surveying licenses, he transferred to MacKay & Somps in Davis, and then headed the Solano County office. Dick achieved his Masters Degree in Civil Engineering from Columbia Pacific University, specializing in Urban Planning and land development.

 

Dick began his community service activities in Fairfield, California, by serving 3 years on the Fairfield/Suisun Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He served as President of the Napa/Solano Chapter of the California Council of Civil Engineers and Land Surveyors; and he served as President of the North Bay Engineers Club.

 

In 1980, he joined the Fairfield/Suisun Rotary Club and served as President in the 1988/1989 Rotary Year, followed by serving as the Rotary District Governor’s Representative to seven Solano County Rotary Clubs, becoming “Mr. Rotary” in the 1991/1992 Rotary Year. In 2010 Dick was honored as “Rotarian of the Year” in the Rotary Club of Davis Sunrise. He and his wife, Dorothy, have multiple Paul Harris Fellowships and are Benefactors in the Rotary Foundation. He has said on many occasions, “Rotary International is the single greatest secular instrument for peace this world has ever known.” He was committed to the ideals of Rotary to bring relief from hunger, enhancement of education, elimination of the disease of polio that so devastated his father, and further peaceful solutions to the world’s problems.

 

He and Dorothy became ardent “cruisers”after his retirement from full time employment in1996 and traveled extensively. He worked part time for MacKay & Somps, and West Yost Associates, Civil Engineers, in Davis.

 

During his career as a civil engineer and land surveyor, Dick belonged to the following professional organizations: American Planning Association (APA); American Public Works Association (APWA); he was a Fellow and Life Member in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE); American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM); and the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS).

 

He was a Past Master Councilor and Chevalier in the Order of DeMolay and was Mayor of Yonkers for a day in 1954 when Yonkers Chapter Order of DeMolay took over the reigns of the city. He belonged to the Dunwoodie Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons in New York. and was a member of the Gideons International. He was also a past Elder at the University Covenant Church, in Davis, where he and Dorothy were active members since 1973.

 

Dick was an avid reader especially enjoying the story telling of George MacDonald, Frank Slaughter, and Lloyd C. Douglas; the adventure stories of Alistair MacLean and Louis L’Amour; and he loved the mysteries of Agatha Christie and P.D. James.

 

Dick is survived by his wife, Dorothy, of 57 years, and their three children; Debra Ariola and her husband Dan, of Davis; Diane Gonzalez and her husband Miguel, of Woodland; and Richard John III. Dick is also survived by their grand children, John and Joseph Ariola; Ann Gonzalez Crew; and David Gonzalez; their great grandson Christopher Crew; and their great grand daughters Jayden Gonzalez, Annabelle Crew, Oriah Crew, and Taylor Gonzalez.

 

A memorial service will be held at The University Covenant Church, 315 Mace Blvd., in Davis, on February 4, 2017. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers donations are encouraged to the Rotary Foundation, 14280 Collections Center Drive, Chicago, Illinois, 60693.