Lynne Joyce Morris

Lynne Joyce Morris, 86, died on December 26, after a period of declining health. Her passing was peaceful, in the home she loved on the top of Flat Top Mountain in Fairview, NC, where she enjoyed many happy years with her late husband Bill.

Mary Lynne Joyce was born in High Point, NC, on October 17, 1935. After her father’s sudden death when she was five years old, her mother Marian took an out-of-town secretarial job to support the two of them, and Marian’s sisters pitched in to help raise Lynne. Lynne remembered those years, filled with the strong and loving personalities of her extended family, with great fondness.

Lynne was a graduate of the High Point Hospital School of Nursing and, as an RN, worked in the surgical services as the OR Supervisor. She married the love of her life, the late William Lee Morris III (Bill) in 1967, and they first made their home in Richmond VA before moving to Charlotte. While in Charlotte, she continued her education through training as a nurse-anesthetist at Memorial Hospital in Charlotte, earning her credential as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, eventually specializing in pediatric anesthesia. She was a successful practitioner for many years, first in Charlotte and later in Asheville after she and Bill moved there in the early 1970s.

Lynne was an expert water skier and a patient teacher of the sport, spending countless hours in the water behind Bill’s boat on the Chickahominy River and at Lake Norman, helping her stepchildren and other novice skiers gain confidence, sharing their joy when they successfully stayed upright—she saw many people learn to love the sport, as she did. She also excelled at snow skiing, horseback, and golf, and was happy for the opportunity to play on courses around the world. She enjoyed sharing travel with old friends, especially Elaine and Bill Cave, who loved snow skiing and Betty and Harley Baxter, who loved golf. As a sports fan, she loved Duke basketball above all.

She was predeceased by her beloved Bill in 2011. Among the many who will cherish her memory are her stepchildren Christine Anne Morris (Jeff West) of Greensboro, Amelia Morris of Atlanta, Lee Morris of Seattle, step-granddaughter Maggie West Kay (Thom) and two step-great-grandchildren; her dear longtime friends Betty Baxter and Elaine Cave; and Theresa, Stephen, Sara & James Todd of Fairview, whose friendship and assistance were a great comfort to Lynne in her later years.

Special thanks are extended to the Fairview Fire Department, who selflessly served Lynne and to her caregiver Ophelia, who cared well for Lynne.

A celebration of Lynne’s life will be at 12 PM on Saturday January 29th at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 17 Shawnee Trail, Asheville NC.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Fairview Fire Department or the Michael J Fox Foundation For Parkinson’s Research, or the charity of your choice.

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