Fred B. Morrison

Fred B. Morrison died on January 10, 2017 at the age of 89 in Narragansett, Rhode Island. He was born in Great Neck, New York on May 21, 1927, the eldest son of Fred and Beverly Morrison. He attended Grace Episcopal Church School and Bryant High School in New York City. After service in the U.S. Navy, he graduated from Columbia College and Columbia Law School. He then began practice in the General Counsel’s Office of the American National Red Cross. Thereafter, a political opportunity led him into real estate finance. He was named National Executive Secretary of the Voluntary Home Mortgage Program, a new undertaking in the Federal Housings and Home Finance Agency. After establishing that program, he spent a decade with Metropolitan Life Insurance Company where he was named Investment Vice President, Real Estate. He went on to varied careers as President of the Lomas and Nettleton Company; CEO of Western Mortgage Company; Executive Vice President, Real Estate Industries, Crocker National Bank; and President, Pearce, Urstadt, Mayer and Greer. He served as a Director on the Board of the Guardian Life Insurance Company and Metropolitan Life International Real Estate Equity Shares as well as Chairman of the Federal National Mortgage Association Advisory Board of Governors and the Mortgage Bankers Association. He served on the South Kingstown Assessment Board of Review and the planning board, as well as the Greenwich CT Representative Town Meeting. Active in his church, he served as Junior and Senior Warden at various Episcopal churches including St. Edmond’s in San Marino, CA, St. Barnabas in Greenwich, CT and St. Peter’s by the Sea in Narragansett, RI. He enjoyed tennis and sailing throughout his life and was a member of many organizations and clubs including the California Club of Los Angeles, Annandale Golf Club of Pasadena and The Union League Club of New York. His first wife, Janet Thornton (Johnson) Morrison predeceased him, as did his brother, William Morrison. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Brown Morrison and his six children: Jane Morrison of Atlanta, GA, Susan Morrison of Peace Dale, RI, Martha (Thomas) Drake of Greenwich, CT, James (Sarah) Morrison of Walnut Creek, CA, Ann (Scott) Wachter of Tujunga, CA and David (Frances) Morrison of Pasadena, CA. He is also survived by seven grandchildren: Katherine, Alice, Nathaniel, Walter and Henry Morrison and Tucker and Madeleine Drake. A memorial service will be held on January 28, 2017 at 11:00 at St. Peter’s by the Sea Church in Narragansett, RI. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to St. Peter’s by the Sea, Narragansett, RI.