COPENHAGEN, NY — Harry J. Morse Sr., 94, Copenhagen, died Monday, April 13, 2020, after a short illness. A native of Copenhagen, NY, Harry had been a resident of the Grand Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Rome, NY since December 2018.
Born Feb. 12, 1926, the son of Sterling F. Morse (Fred) and Margaret Matter Morse in the town of Denmark, he attended Copenhagen Central School until entering the Marine Corps at the age of 16. President Carter later pardoned Harry and thousands of other young wartime veterans for their underage service. Harry’s duty stations included the Brooklyn Naval yard and Treasure Island, San Francisco, Ca. During his service in World War II he served in Bougainville and Guadalcanal, where he was awarded many medals and commendations including the Asiatic Pacific medal, the medal of merit and the Marine Corps good conduct medal.
After his military service, Harry met and married Anna Raab in Baltimore, MD, returning to Copenhagen, NY where they raised their children, Margaret A. Hutto (Maggi), Harry Jr., and Victoria S. Hill (Vicki).
Harry worked for area construction companies as well as the NY Airbrake. He operated a dairy farm near Copenhagen until 1977. He was a member of the Copenhagen Volunteer Fire Department and race team. After retiring from farming, Harry returned to the construction trades until fully retiring at 72.
He and Anna were snowbirds, traveling to Lakeland, FI for twenty years. It was in Florida that he became involved in the senior Olympic games. Harry competed on the county and state levels.
He earned more than four hundred medals in basketball, horseshoes, shuffleboard, and many track and field events. Harry prided himself on keeping fit, walking, jogging and biking daily.
Harry was an avid gardener who loved nature and his home on Tug Hill.
Surviving are his daughters Maggi and Vicki; six grandchildren Ryan Morse, Timothy Morse, Trevor Morse, Jaycee Hill, Lora Kerr, and William J Hill; 10 great-grandchildren Alex, Ayva, Adym, Aycen, Anna, Rylee, Brody, Gunner, Gavin and Lydia.
He was predeceased by his wife of sixty years, Anna, (2010) and his son Joe (2012).
Due to the current health crisis, there will be no services. The family will have a celebration of life at a later date.
Donations can be made to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention or to the Alzheimer’s Association.
A sympathy note may be made at www.sundquistfh.com