Dick Morris

Dick Morris, 86, of Waukee, Iowa, formerly of Clear Lake, died on May 12, 2021, at Mercy Hospice House, in Johnston, Iowa.

A Celebration Of Life Event will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 31, 2021, at Clear Lake United Methodist Church. Visitation will begin at 12:45 until event time on Saturday afternoon. Masks are encouraged for the unvaccinated.

   Memorials may be made in his honor to the music department of the Clear Lake United Methodist Church.

  Richard was born in Tulsa, Okla. at Flower Hospital, to Ralph Richard Morris and Dorothy Mabel Lysettia (Crew) Morris (Lysettia). Richard, as he was known by his family, spent grade school through high school in Tulsa and Iowa, graduating from Cambria High School in 1953 then earned his undergraduate degree in music at Simpson College, in Indianola, Iowa. In 1966 he earned his Master’s Degree at Drake University.

While still a student at Simpson, he went to Truro, Iowa to fill in as a band director, taking the band to a contest and receiving the highest rating given. In 1957 he moved to Prescott, Iowa to be the band director. When he came to Prescott, he became known as Dick instead of Richard. As luck would have it, he met the love of his life, Russine Ann Pottinger, in Prescott. On Aug. 19, 1962, Dick and Russine were married just about six weeks after they first started dating! Their marriage was blessed with three children, Ronda Le Morris, Robert ‘Rob’ Wayne Morris and Randall ‘Randy’ Christopher Morris.

The communities which Dick taught in during his career of 39 years of being a band director were Truro, Prescott, Sergeant Bluff, Oceola, and Urbandale,all located in Iowa. He retired from teaching in 1995 and then enjoyed playing golf 6-7 days a week for as long as the season lasted! Oh, how he loved being with his friends and hitting that little white ball!

  In 2010, Dick and Russine left their West Des Moines condo and moved to Clear Lake where they lived until 2018. During those eight years Dick directed the Clear Lake United Methodist Church choir until he turned 80, joined the Noon Lions Club, played trombone in the Clear Lake Municipal Band, the New Horizon Band, the Nonsemble Band and the Over The Hill Brass Band. Dick and Russine also enjoyed playing golf together. All of which he enjoyed very much!

In 2018 they moved back to their West Des Moines condo. They sold their condo in 2019 and then moved to Attivo Trail, which is a 55+ active senior apartment living in Waukee, Iowa.

Dick is survived by his wife, Russine, of almost 59 years; children, Ronda (Bradley) Dunham, Rob (Kim) Morris; five grandchildren, Kayla (Gabe) Halverson, Rachel Morris and fiancé Kody Adair, Fletcher Hyeon Kyoo Dunham, Mason Kun Woo Dunham, and Tara Morris, who along with Ryan Ottem, are the proud parents of Colton Robert Ottem, 18-month-old great-grandson.

   He was preceded in death by his parents, Ralph and Lysettia; and son, Randy.