Jerrold Lawrence Morris passed away November 8, 2023, at St. John’s Hospital in Oxnard, California.
Jerry was born in San Francisco at St. Mary’s Hospital on May 11, 1945, to Josephine O’Leary Morris and James Lawrence Morris, joining his brother, Jim, and sister Judy.
He was a happy kid, and brightened any room he was in. Jerry attended St. Cecelia’s Elementary School and enjoyed playing with friends in the neighborhood and basketball at the nearby park. The grandson of a SF Muni motorman, he rode the streetcars for free and took full advantage of exploring the City. He graduated from Archbishop Riordan High School in 1963.
Following high school, Jerry attended St. Mary’s College in Moraga, CA, graduating with a degree in political science in 1967. At St. Mary’s, Jerry met a life-long crew of close friends, including his roommate, Harry Crosby. Rooming with Harry was very fortuitous indeed.
It was Harry’s girlfriend (and later wife), Barbara, who set up a blind date with the fetching Theodora “Teddi” Spargo, Barbara’s classmate at Dominican College. After one junior prom, Teddi and Jerry were a pair for life.
Jerry and Teddi married in 1969 and lived in San Francisco in a cute one-bedroom apartment near Golden Gate Park. Jerry’s and Teddi’s son Sean was born June 19, 1971, which made the family complete.
While working on his teaching credential from San Francisco State College, Jerry worked nights for the City of San Francisco. Those night jobs included manually operating freight elevators and acting as a night watchman at SF Civic Auditorium, a position that offered unique opportunities to help walk circus animals through the streets at night and to meet big name entertainers.
After completing his teaching credential, he was a substitute teacher for a time. However, with no full-time teaching jobs on the horizon in the Bay Area, that fortuitous link with Harry Crosby came through again. Harry’s father, superintendent of Oxnard Union High School District Joseph W. Crosby, offered Jerry a position at Thousand Oaks High School starting in 1973. That was a smart decision by Dr. Crosby. Jerry and the family moved to Oxnard, and Jerry happily taught at TOHS in the Social Science Department for over 40 years.
Jerry loved TOHS and his students. He was a passionate teacher who made history come alive, and his students loved him for it. Whenever former students met Sean or other family members and learned of their connection to Jerry, the reaction was universal: Mr. Morris is the best! And, Jerry delighted in following the successes of his former students, proudly tracking their subsequent educational achievements, new jobs, and growing families. Often, keeping track of former students was easy, because he taught several generations of the same family.
Jerry also was an ardent advocate for teachers’ rights. He served various terms in leadership with the United Association of Conejo Teachers, and remained active after retirement in the California Retired Teachers Association, Ventura County Division 28, working on the Legislative Committee to better the working conditions for all teachers. After retirement, Jerry also stayed connected by coordinating monthly breakfasts with retired colleagues.
Anyone who knew him also knows how much Jerry loved the movies. A conversation with him almost always included an applicable quote from one of his favorites, and his overarching philosophy was that “Everything in life can be related to The Maltese Falcon.”
Jerry and Teddi were married over 55 years, working as a loving team through life’s ups and downs. Jerry loved his son, Sean, daughter-in-law, Kristy, and his granddaughters Rose, Kyra, and Zoey very much. He followed St. Mary’s and Cal basketball no matter how well they were doing, and cheered on his granddaughters in their various sports.
Jerry was preceded in death by his father, James L. Morris, mother, Josephine Morris (née O’Leary), and his brother, Rev. James Morris. He is survived by his wife, Teddi, his son and daughter-in-law Sean and Kristina Morris, his granddaughters, Rose, Kyra, and Zoey Morris, and his sister, Judith Morris. He also is survived by many loving cousins.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to Habitat For Humanity, Food Share, or a charity of your choice. And remember, “Talking’s something you can’t do judiciously unless you keep in practice.” Arrangements are under the direction of the JOSEPH P. REARDON FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION SERVICE, Ventura.