Thomas Franklin Morring; May 30, 2013
Thomas Franklin Morring, 89, of Huntsville passed away Friday surrounded by his family. Mr. Morring was born in Ryland, Alabama, to the late Carl Augustus Morring and Zala Given Morring. After attending Huntsville High School, Mr. Morring served on active duty overseas for three years in the U.S. Army during World War II. He attended the University of Alabama, where he was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, and graduated in 1948. Mr. Morring worked in his family farming interests until 1954, when he joined the growing U.S. space program on Redstone Arsenal. He was a management consultant for NASA after Marshall Space Flight Center opened. In 1964, Mr. Morring was named a Sloan Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, earning a Master of Science degree in industrial management. After his return from M.I.T., Mr. Morring continued his lifelong devotion to Huntsville. Following his retirement from government service, he began a second career as a volunteer public servant, active in civic organizations and local politics. He served twice as campaign manager for former mayor Steve Hettinger. A member of the Huntsville-Madison County Library Board, Mr. Morring oversaw construction of the city’s new public library in his role as chairman of the building committee. He was also a member of the board of the Von Braun Civic Center, and a board member and president of the Huntsville Arts Council. He was a board member of the Alabama State Arts Hall of Fame, and a recipient of the Virginia Hammill Simms Award for service to the arts. Among his other civic activities, Mr. Morring served as a chairman and vice chairman of the Alabama State Council of the Arts; a member of the advisory committee of the Alabama School of Fine Arts; Lt. Governor of the Alabama Division Kiwanis International, and president of the Huntsville Kiwanis Club. He was chairman of the board of the Huntsville-Madison County Convention &Visitors Bureau. A board member of the YMCA for more than 20 years, Mr. Morring served two terms as a member of the vestry for the Episcopal Church of the Nativity.
While attending the university, Mr. Morring met his future wife, Betty Marilyn Jones of Coral Gables, FL. They were wed in 1948 and enjoyed 55 years of marriage before her death. Survivors include his son, Frank Morring, Jr. (Beatrice) of Washington, D.C.; daughter, Camille Salisbury (Alexander “Andy”) of Charlotte, N.C.; grandchildren, Sara Elizabeth Salisbury and J. Alexander “Andy” Salisbury, Jr. of Charlotte, N.C.; brother, Carl A. Morring, Jr. of Huntsville, AL; sister-in-law, Mrs. Kathryn Jones Elston of St. Petersburg, FL; several cherished nieces; a beloved nephew, and a special friend, Mrs. Sarah Dilworth Thiemonge, of Huntsville, AL.
Visitation was held Sunday, June 9, 2013 at Church of the Nativity. The funeral service was held Monday, June 10, 2013 at Church of the Nativity, with the Rev. Andy Anderson officiating. Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, 915 Monroe St. SW, Huntsville, AL 35801.
