Cover photo for Millicent "Penny" Morris's Obituary
Millicent "Penny" Morris Profile Photo

Millicent "Penny" Morris

November 3, 1924 — April 1, 2023

Millicent (Penny) Morris died peacefully in Tacoma, Wash. on April 1, 2023. She was 98.


Born in Tacoma November 1924, she lived for a time in the Parkland area of Tacoma before moving to Seattle, where she was proud and happy to help her father build their modest home in the Pinehurst neighborhood. Growing up, she loved playing baseball with the boys and could run faster than any of them. She met her best friend, Anne Peacey, at Lincoln High School, where she kept up her good grades while working after school at a candy/ice cream store in Lake City. After graduation, she worked and took classes at the University of Washington.


She married Anne’s brother John. They had two children and settled in Lake Forest Park. They divorced some years later and she raised her children as a single mother, working as a legal secretary and for a time, as a court reporter in Port Angeles WA with Judge Max Church.


A lifelong learner, she began taking night classes in Seattle in her 40s, while continuing to work as a legal secretary. In her 50s, she moved to California, where she took classes at USC, UCLA and Cal State LA. Making her home in Santa Barbara, she continued her studies at UCSB. Penny received her first bachelor’s degree, in history, at the age of 63. She went on to complete a master’s degree in humanities when she was 68.


She built a happy, comfortable and stimulating life for herself in Santa Barbara, where she was part of a vibrant arts community. Largely self-taught, she created hundreds of pastel portraits. Her many clients appreciated her ability to capture her subject’s “spark.”


Examples of her work can be found at www.pennymorrisartist.com.


When describing her passion for art, she said, “I am sensing a worldwide movement toward art in general. I see art in places where I never saw art before. I think this is good for our country. It may not bring world peace, but it may bring us a more peaceful attitude.”


Penny hated war. She loved animals and was acutely aware of how we are all connected in this world. At 98, she had a good vantage point.


Although Penny missed her friends in Santa Barbara she did delight in spending the final years of her life with her family in Kingston, WA where she had many visitors, both family and neighbors and she enjoyed attending her great-grandchildrens’ events from ballet performances to high school graduation.


She was active and independent until the very end, walking daily, participating in lively political discussions, pursuing her art and taking digital marketing courses.


She was preceded in death by her parents, Calvin Morris and Martha Hoyt Morris.


She is survived by her brother, Rick Morris, her children, Jeanne Mahan (Dan Pigott) and John Peacey (Deby), grandchildren Mike Mosey (Karla), Mikki Mahan (Kirill Berezov), John Mahan (Rebecca), Josh Mahan (Karena), Paul Mahan (Sarah), John Peacey III (Jovita) and numerous great-grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren.


Remembrances may be made to The Obama Foundation, whose mission is to ‘inspire, empower and connect people to change their world’.

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