Muriel DeBruyn Morris

Muriel Jeanne (DeBruyn) Morris, formerly of Arlington, died peacefully at home in Harrisville, New Hampshire at 91 years of age and of natural causes, on Sunday, September 6, 2015, surrounded by her family. Muriel is pictured above at her 90th birthday party.

Muriel was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts on October 17, 1923, daughter of Andrew Stuart DeBruyn (b. 1893) of South Boston, Massachusetts and Margaret Rosemary Langem (b. 1896) of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, sister of Dorothy, Andrew Jr, Charles, Robert, Theodore, Donald, John and Paul.

In 1946 Muriel married Valmore D. Morris (b. 1901) of Bath, Maine, son of William T Morris Jr. (b. 1876) and Alice K. Hinkley (b. 1874). Muriel and Valmore had three children, a stillborn girl and two boys, Christopher P. of Harrisville NH and John S. of Arlington MA. Valmore passed away in 1987 after which Muriel continued to live with her son John and his family in Arlington Massachusetts for more than 20 years before relocating to Harrisville New Hampshire to live with her son Christopher and his family.

Muriel held a lifelong devotion to a study of the spiritual world, social causes, and her family, especially her grandchildren Luke Morris, Fiona Morris and Sarah Kozicki. For many decades she was a member of the Christian Community of Brookline Massachusetts – having helped establish the church in Boston and serving on the Board of Trustees as its secretary for many years – and a member of the Anthroposophical Society in America. Through this work she was part of the group which founded the Waldorf School in Lexington Massachusetts to which her grandson Luke was able to attend. And as a big surprise to her family, after many decades of disinterest, she developed an affection for the Boston Red Sox during the 1990's, watching games on TV, cheering and booing and following the team’s exploits. Muriel spent her free time, while her children were growing up, recording books for the blind and was an avid reader. Her readings for the blind are available at the Minerva Brooks Memorial Library in Waban Massachusetts. She was also a world-class crossword puzzle and Scrabble player having developed an amazing mastery of the English dictionary through her voracious reading. She was also a lover of poetry and the writers of Concord Massachusetts, being especially fond of the Concord Transcendentalists. Through her roots and her literary and cultural pursuits, both her mind and her wit were as sharp as could be for her entire life.

Muriel will be interred during a private service with the family.