Obituary of Sylvia Kathleen Morgan

Sylvia Kathleen Morgan, age 87, slipped out of her earthly body on the arm of Jesus when he beckoned her home to Heaven on November 22, 2014. She passed away in Lacey, Washington. Sylvia had been a resident of Olympia for 61 years, living in the family home for all 61 years. She was born August 5, 1927 in Elma, Washington, and named Kathleen Morris. She was the first child of George Douglas and Alida Ruth (Merrill) Morris. Her younger brother, Douglas Merrill Morris, was born in 1929. Sylvia and her brother Douglas were raised in Bucoda, Washington, where her father was the Methodist-Episcopal minister and her mother was a first grade teacher at the Bucoda Elementary School. When Kathleen was 6 – 7 years old, she decided that would no longer be her name. She adored her maternal grandmother, Sylvia Merrill, and decided “Sylvia” was her new name – and from that moment on, she refused to speak to anyone (including her parents) when called Kathleen. It was Sylvia or nothing! Thereafter, she was known as Sylvia Kathleen Morris. She attended school in Bucoda and Centralia High School, where she was first chair clarinet in the marching band and orchestra. She also attended Dietz Business College in Seattle. Sylvia enjoyed Bucoda’s small town life, summers swimming and catching crawdads in the Skookumchuck River, picking berries on the hill and working at the local grocery store during high school. She loved the many trips to her grandparents’ farm in Elma. She often told the story of a Christmas trip to Elma in a blinding snowstorm in the family’s Model T. After she completed business college, she was hired by Pacific Powder Explosives in Tenino and later she worked for several state agencies including DSHS, the Governor’s Office and L&I’s Safety Education Section. In 1949 riding the Greyhound Bus between Bucoda and Tenino, she met Clarence “CJ” Morgan, the good looking driver. Since Sylvia didn’t drive, she was a regular on the bus and soon they were dating. They married in 1951 and settled in Tenino. They moved to Olympia in 1953 and raised three children. Dad was the love of Mom’s life and though he preceded her in death by 23 years, there never was anyone who could come anywhere close in measuring up to her “Morgan.” Sylvia served as church treasurer for many years. She taught kindergarten Sunday school for decades here at the church. Multiple generations of children know and love “Miss Sylvia” and can tell you the joys of receiving “gummy worms” that she always had on hand each Sunday. She loved children and devoted her life to her own quickly expanding family of grandchildren and great grandchildren, friends, neighbors and church. Mom was always happiest when she had her grandkids close, a grandbaby or two snuggled in her arms, camping with the grandkids, or attending their birthday parties, celebrating with them at graduations, weddings and especially when the great grandchildren began to arrive! Sylvia is survived by one daughter, Merrill (Jim) Waterhouse; two sons, Douglas (Candy) Morgan and Daniel (Brenda) Morgan; one step-daughter Eldeen (Leroy) Gilbert; nine grandchildren: Mark (J’aime) Brennan, Daniel Brennan, James (Amy) Morgan, Pamela (Jared) Fox, Steven (Heather) Morgan, Sylvia (James) McFarland, Shapel Morgan, Brian (Sharon) Gilbert and Tim (Jeannie) Gilbert; and nine great grandchildren. Her husband, parents and brother preceded her in death. Please leave memories of Sylvia or condolences for her family in the Guestbook below.