Obituary of Thomas C. Morris
Thomas C. Morris (90) longtime St. Maries, ID resident passed away at the Schneidmiller Hospice House in Coeur d’ Alene, ID on September 8, 2018. He was born to William and Garnet Morris on June 2, 1928 in St. Maries, ID. Tom attended school in St. Maries and graduated from St. Maries High School with the class of 1946. While in high school, he went to work for the US Forest Service for a few years and became a Blister Russ Camp Boss by the time he was 19.
Following graduation, Tom attended Santa Rosa Junior College and US Berkeley before graduating in 1955 from Hastings Law School in San Francisco, CA. Tom enlisted into the US Army serving 2 years. While he was enlisted, he worked in Intelligence at the Pentagon. He met Cloia Hall who was also serving in the Army. The couple married in Arlington, VA on April 30, 1957. Tom was discharged from the Army in September 1957. Tom and Cloia wanted to visit family, so they made their voyage from Florida to St. Maries, ID in a 1938 Plymouth. They returned to San Francisco for a year so Tom could take and pass the Bar Exam.
Tom and Cloia returned to St. Maries where they started their family. Tom went to work as a teacher at the high school teaching US Government. He held this position for 2 years before he ran for Benewah County’s Prosecuting Attorney. He won serving 14 years. He also served as the attorney for the City of St. Maries, Benewah County, and Benewah Community Hospital. In 1975 he opened Thomas C. Morris Attorney At Law and practiced law until he retired in 1993.
Tom was an outdoorsman. He loved anything to do with the outdoors including big game hunting, water fowl hunting, fishing, ice fishing, camping, spending time in the mountains, and Cloia’s garden. At one time he and Cloia raised Appaloosas. Tom was a member of the Elks Lodge in St. Maries for over 50 years. He was also a Mason, active in Kiwanis, St. Maries Chamber of Commerce, and was one of the founders of Henry’s Lake Foundation. In the 1970’s, Tom was instrumental in building the fields down by the Cormana Building. He helped with both the football and baseball fields. Because of his success in life and his contributions to the St. Maries community, Tom was honored in 2006 on the St. Maries Booster Club’s Wall of Fame.
Tom is survived by his wife Cloia at the family home, sons and daughters in-law Brant and Nancy Morris of Post Falls, ID and Ward and Bonnie Morris of St. Maries, ID. Also surviving are 2 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents, sisters Audrey Hall and Rachel Morris, and brother William J. Morris.
A visitation will be held Friday, September 14, 2018 9:30 am – 4:00 pm at Hodge Funeral Home in St. Maries, ID. A funeral service will be Saturday, September 15, 2018 at 2:00 pm at the Community Presbyterian Church in St. Maries. Interment will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery with a gathering of family and friends after at the Elks Lodge in St. Maries, ID. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Hospice of North Idaho, 2290 W. Prairie Ave., Coeur d’ Alene, ID 83815.
