Obituary

Waterville, WA

Evelyn Joyce Pfueller Morse, born to Mary Angie Turner and Ernest Pfueller on January 9, 1915, passed on September 20, 2013. She died, just as she lived, with resolve, great dignity and grace.

Born on a wheat farm in Waterville, WA, Joyce moved with her family to Wenatchee and later to Bellingham where her father started his automotive parts business. During high school she met her future husband, David. Joyce graduated from Whatcom High School and the University of Washington, where she was a member of Gamma Phi Beta Sorority. She graduated in 1935 and married David later that summer at her parents home, a marriage that was to last a remarkable 71 years.

Joyces life has always been active and multi-faceted, devoted first to her family. She was a constant support in every way to her husband David and his career as the head of Morse Hardware Company. Raising her family during the Depression and wartime years, she instilled in her four children the values of education, service to others, and hard work. With an artistic eye and deep appreciation of nature, Joyce surrounded her family with beauty. She was an impeccable homemaker, and her meals were legendary. She was never sentimental, was always practical, and found humor in almost every situation.

As her children grew, Joyce deepened her involvement in her community. Together with David, she was a Cornerstone member of the Whatcom Museum, and for 20 years was responsible for organizing the volunteers at the museum shop. She was involved in the fund-raising drive to help with the restoration of the historic museum building from fire damage and co-chaired the group that raised the money to start the museum endowment to support artistic and educational programs.

Joyce and David consistently contributed to a wide range of programs and projects in Bellingham. In addition to many joint contributions, Joyce, on her own, provided additional support to local programs including the Mount Baker Theatre, Bellingham Festival of Music, Whatcom Symphony Orchestra, YWCA, the Lighthouse Mission and Planned Parenthood, to name a few.

She pursued her love of gardening and was a longtime member of Lake Whatcom Garden Club and an early proponent of landscaping with native plants. Always an avid reader, Joyce was a member of Monday Club for many decades. She was an active member of the First Congregational Church.

One of the honors bestowed on Joyce was a Paul Harris Fellow awarded by the Rotary Club of Bellingham in recognition of her many contributions to the community. Another is the Bellingham Technical College Building named in recognition of Joyce and David. The Morse family received the 2007 Outstanding Philanthropic Family Award in Washington State, honoring Joyce and David for their many years of service to the community and their legacy of instilling in their children and grandchildren the importance of giving to their community and world.

Joyce embraced her role as grandmother. She had a way of making each grandchild feel special and was affectionately called Oma by her grandchildren. She enjoyed many summers with grandchildren at the cabin on Guemes Island, which remains a legacy for them. Her grandchildren honored their grandparents by starting an endowed scholarship at Whatcom Community College, named for their grandparents as recognition of Joyce and David’s interest in education and their legacy of philanthropy.

Oma cared for David till his death in 2007 at age 93. At that time Joyce began a staunchly independent phase of life, creating a home for herself in Fairhaven and making many new friends. Her indomitable spirit and sense of humor continued to grace the lives of many. The family expresses deepest gratitude to Whatcom Hospice, where Joyce spent her final weeks, receiving exceptionally loving and compassionate care.

Joyce was preceded in death by her husband David and great-grandson Samuel Morin, and by her siblings Gladys Gooding, Ethel Farwell and Gale Pfueller. She is survived by her four children: Patricia Morse, Bob Morse (Jeanette), D.C. Morse Jr. (Jan Marchbanks), all of Bellingham, and Katie Morse (Tony Aman) of Maine. Joyce is also survived by grandchildren and step-grandchildren: Aaron Booker (Kelly), Matthew Booker (Aranzazu Lascurain), Noah Booker (Anna), Anna Morin (Nicolas), Mike Morse (Lisa), Cindy Little (Erik), Anne Marie Morse, David C. Morse III (Heather), Judson Morse (Michelle), Kristi Marchbanks, Eliah Lux, Jake Aman, and Alec Aman (Rebecca Froom); and 16 great-grandchildren.

Farewell Tribute Information

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday October 5 at 2 PM. at the First Congregational Church, 2401 Cornwall Ave., Bellingham. Donations Information

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials may be made to: Joyce and David Morse Scholarship Fund, Whatcom Community College Foundation, 237 West Kellogg Road, Bellingham, WA 98226. D. & J. Morse Scholarship Endowment, Bellingham Technical College, 3028 Lindbergh Avenue, Bellingham, WA 98225; Lighthouse Mission, 910 West Holly Street, Bellingham, WA 98225; or Whatcom Hospice Foundation, 2901 Squalicum Parkway, Bellingham, WA 98225. Donations Links:

Joyce and David Morse Scholarship Fund
Lighthouse Mission
Whatcom Hospice Foundation