Obituary: John McMorrow, 88, of Mt. Pleasant, SC

John P. McMorrow of Mt. Pleasant, SC, formerly of Westwood, MA died August 15th, 2012 at the age of 88.

John is survived by his wife of 62 years, Eleanor Nora (Olmsted) McMorrow; their three sons, Atty. John P. McMorrow and his wife Rose of Westborough, MA, Dr. Stanley S. McMorrow and his wife Nancy of Norton, MA and Philip E. McMorrow and his wife Heidi, of Pasadena, CA. Also survived by six grandchildren, his brother William Bill McMorrow of Walpole, MA and his sister, Mary Reid of Bourne, MA.

Mr. McMorrow was born in the Carney Hospital, Boston, MA on November 11, 1924. He is the son of John P. McMorrow (Leitrim, Ireland) and Ella Curran McMorrow (Cavan, Ireland) who settled in South Boston before moving to Savin Hill, Dorchester. Mr. McMorrow's father was a police officer and a veteran of World War I.

Mr. McMorrow attended St. Williams School in Dorchester, MA where he played trumpet in the schools marching band and Boston English High School where he lettered in ice hockey. Mr. McMorrow was awarded the Charles Hayden Scholarship and attended Northeastern University for one year before enlisting in the Navy. Mr. McMorrow graduated from Brown University in 1947 with a degree in Engineering. He was a member of the Delta Epsilon fraternity, the Inter-fraternity Governing Board and Commander of his ROTC battalion. Mr. McMorrow earned the Brown Key. Upon graduating from Brown University, Mr. McMorrow was commissioned in the Navy and served as an Ensign aboard the USS Gillette, a destroyer escort in the Pacific fleet. He was honorably discharged.

In 1950, Mr. McMorrow was employed by Filene's at its Basement Store in Boston where he met his future wife. He became a buyer for Filenes and then a merchandise manager for mens wear, positions that required worldwide travel to find and develop suppliers for their famous automatic markdown plan. He was president of Filenes Credit Union. Mr. McMorrow lived over 50 years in Westwood, MA where he served as Lions Club president and a member of the Westwood Finance Committee, the Robert S. Hale Reservation, the Westwood American Legion and the Westwood Council on Aging. He was a participant in his sons Little League and Cub Scouts activities. He was also an active member of St. Margaret Mary Parish and the Knights of Columbus.

Retiring to Mt. Pleasant in 1996, Mr. McMorrow continued his civic involvement as a member of the Citadel Scholars, the Center of Creative Retirement and the East Cooper Coffee Club. Active at Christ Our King Catholic Church, he was on the group volunteering at the Soup Kitchen and as an usher.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Funeral Mass on Saturday morning September 8th at 10am in St. Margaret Mary Church, 845 High St., (Route 109) Westwood, MA. Interment with military honors at Old Westwood Cemetery. Donations may be made in Johns memory to the Friends of the Westwood Council on Aging, 60 Nahatan St., Westwood, MA 02090. Arrangements by the Holden, Dunn and Lawler Funeral Home, Westwood.