Rankin Morris Jr., 79, of Fountain, Fla., passed away peacefully Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2016, at Bay Medical/Sacred Heart Covenant Hospice in Panama City. He was born Aug. 17, 1937, in Slocomb, Ala., the son of the late Rankin Morris and Myrtle Merritt Morris.
His father’s work resulted in his family moving different places during his early years but, eventually, his parents settled in Bay County. He attended Bay High School and starred on the basketball team. He graduated in the Class of 1953. He attended the University of Florida and throughout his life was an avid Florida Gator fan and supporter of the basketball and football programs. He joined the U.S. Army Reserve, where he served for six years.
In 1975, he joined the Florida Marine Patrol. Mr. Morris was assigned to duty at Fernandina Beach, patrolling the waterways of Duval and Nassau counties. In 1983, he married the former Adeline Willis of Fernandina Beach. They made their home in Fernandina Beach. He was promoted to captain in the Florida Marine Patrol and was offered a position in Panama City. They relocated to Bay County, where he served the area until retiring in 2006 after 30 years of service.
He and his wife bought a small farm in Fountain, where they raised horses and miniature show ponies. They traveled to shows in the Southeast and received many awards. In his retirement, he worked with the Florida Park Service and taught firearm safety classes at Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City, was an avid bottle and arrowhead collector, and shared this passion with his family and his best friend, Joe Everett. He was a nature lover and spent many hours each day walking his dogs in the woods on the farm. He was a member of Amelia Lodge No. 47 F&AM in Fernandina Beach.
He leaves behind his wife of 33 years, Adeline Morris; his daughter and son-in-law, Shawn and Barry Patterson of Evans, Ga.; his son and daughter-in-law, Steven and Debbie Ritter of Canton, Ga.; his granddaughters, Macy Mae Patterson, Rebecca Patterson and McKenna Patterson; and his grandson, Jack Ritter. He also leaves a loving family and many, many friends.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday in the Burgess Chapel of Oxley-Heard with Deacon Art Treadwell officiating. The family will receive friends from 1 p.m. until the hour of the service. Floral tributes are accepted. Capt. Morris will be laid to rest in Bosque Bello Cemetery.
Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors