James Art Arthur Morris

February 8, 1919 – April 21, 2012

The City of Downey has lost a pillar of the community in the passing of J. Arthur Morris. Throughout his adult life, he has been closely tied to the institutions and organizations which define Downey.

Art Morris was born in Pueblo, Colorado on February 8, 1919. His family moved to California during the Great Depression and while still a teenager, he developed a “wanderlust” that took him overseas. Art was hired as a crew member on the U.S.S. President Wilson, a trans-Pacific passenger and cargo ship. His three-month voyage took him to many Pacific ports-of-call.

His family ultimately settled in Downey in the 1930s and the Morris family would come to own Downey Hospital, with his father Arch as the Administrator. During those early years, running the hospital was a family affair, and Art became a licensed laboratory and radiology technician. At the start of World War II, he joined the United States Navy and was deployed to the South Pacific. He was a hospital corpsman and served aboard ship, in amphibious airborne units, and also at base hospitals which were often in forward areas. His service included much time on the islands of Tulagi and Guadalcanal. By the time his four years of service were complete, he was serving as chief of the radiology department at Long Beach Naval Hospital.

Following the War, he returned to Downey and Downey Hospital as Assistant Administrator and eventually became Administrator of the hospital. As the city continued to expand in the post-War years, Art and his family instituted a Board of Directors and the hospital was turned over to the community as a non-profit community hospital. In the years that followed, Art joined the Hospital Board of Directors which included a two-year term as president. He remained a board member until the time of his death.

Photography had always been a life-long passion and pursuit. He studied and graduated from Art Center College of Design and while still a student, he studied under the likes of Ansel Adams. Art had an uncanny ability to capture the moment and was equally talented in portrait, commercial and industrial photography. In the 1960s, Art was able to realize a dream and opened his own photography studio on Firestone Blvd. For four decades his business prospered and he was recognized as a business leader in the community.

Art also had a long-standing business association was with Downey Savings & Loan. The Morris family was an early investor in the fledgling building and loan association. He wanted to see local investment in local building and business development. An early member of the Board of Directors, Art served for some 26 years and was named a Director Emeritus in 1994.

His personal pursuits and endeavors were as varied as his professional career. He reached a world-class level in fencing and was the West Coast 3-Weapon Champion (Foil, Epee and Sabre). In the early 1950s he was bound for the Pan American Games, but a back injury sidelined him from that event. A lifelong traveler, Art touched down on every continent with the exception of Australia and Antarctica. Throughout his life, Art also found adventure in exploring the California deserts. Art and his friends, who called themselves “The Jeep Gang” used their WWII jeeps to explore the vast expanses of Death Valley, Anza-Borrego and Mojave Deserts.

In addition to his professional and avocational pursuits, Art’s civic and philanthropic endeavors crisscross the fabric of Downey. It would be difficult to list all of the community service and volunteer efforts he has made on behalf of the City of Downey.

A long-time member of the Downey Rotary Club and a Paul Harris Fellow, he was just as likely to be seen serving pancakes at the club’s annual breakfast, as to be hosting international Rotary Exchange guests. He was a member of the Downey Symphonic Society and provided generous financial support to the Downey Civic Light Opera Association. He was a long-time member of the Downey Historical Society. In 1988 he was named City of Downey Volunteer of the Year. He also had the pleasure of being named as the Grand Marshal of the Downey Christmas Parade in 2005. Earlier this year, on his 93rd birthday, the City Council of Downey declared February 8, 2012 as “Art Morris Day.”

One of his proudest and most heartfelt contributions was a $1 million donation to Downey Regional Medical Center to establish the J. Arthur Morris Radiology and Imaging Center – in recognition of his early work in the radiology department of the fledgling Downey Hospital.

Art Morris died of natural causes at his home in Downey, California on Saturday, April 21, 2012. He is survived by his sons, Jim Morris and Mike Morris, Daughters Mary Morris and Anne Bowman, son-in-law Kirk Bowman and granddaughters, Amanda and Lauren.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, April 30, at 11am at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church. Rosary service will be on Sunday, April 29 at 7pm at Rose Hills Mortuary. For additional information on services, access the link at www.rosehills.com.

Flowers can be sent to Rose Hills or donations to the Henderson-Goergen Education Scholarship Fund at Downey Regional Medical Center.