Berrey Morgan

Berrey Oscar Morgan age 93 passed away March 14, 2013 at the home of his son Michael Morgan, in Deatsville, AL. He was born February 8, 1918 in Pine Hill, AL. Berrey worked in construction throughout his life, serving as project manager on many significant projects throughout the continental United States. That career was interrupted from 1943 until the end of World War II when Berrey served in the U.S. Navy on the USS Burke, a destroyer escort in the North Atlantic and one trip into the Mediterranean. At the end of the war in Europe, the Burke was re-outfitted to accommodate frogmen (the predecessors of the Navy Seals) and passed through the Panama Canal to join the war in the Pacific. In Tokyo Bay, the Burke was stationed near the Missouri and Berrey was able to witness the emperor’s surrender through binoculars. The last 32 years of his career were with Blount Inc., of Montgomery, building governmental projects at Oak Ridge National Laboratories, the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Cape Canaveral, locks and dams on the Ohio and Ouachita Rivers, national defense projects in several states and a wide variety of other governmental, industrial and commercial projects across the nation. Berrey was preceded in death by his wife of 67 years, Betty Green Morgan in 2006, his parents Samuel Oscar and Philoma Berrey Morgan of Pine Hill, two brothers, Russell Ivan of Safford and Samuel Alfred of Pine Hill, two sisters, Mildred O’Rear of Clarksdale, MS and Inez Davis who died in 1941. He is survived by all 6 of his children and their spouses: Berrylynn Freeby (Dwayne) of Rancho Mirage, CA., Joyce Hultquist (Ray) of Amaragosa, NC., Dianne Freeman (Russ) of Hermitage, TN., Paul Morgan (Martha Lowrey) of Bowling Green, KY., Marie Spealman (Roger) of Olympia, WA and Michael Morgan (Kay Hollan) of Deatsville, AL., He is also survived by 14 grandchildren, 28 great grandchildren and 10 great-great grandchildren. Other survivors include one sister, Elsie Dudley of Montgomery and multitude of nephews and nieces of various generations. Two of the nieces, Doris Smith of Panama City, FL., and Dorothy Thornton of Mobile, AL., were raised as sisters following the death of their mother in 1941. Visitation will be held at O’Bryant Chapel Funeral Home in Thomasville, AL., on Friday, March 22, 2013 from 12:00 noon until the 2:00 pm service time with Rev. Burton Herring officiating. Burial will be in the Pine Hill Cemetery in Pine Hill, AL. Arrangements by O’Bryant Chapel Funeral Home in Thomasville, AL.

All obituaries taken from the website of the corresponding funeral home unless otherwise noted.