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Robert "Bob" Morse

Date of Death: January 13, 2022

Date of Birth: April 19, 1946

Biography:

Robert Chester Morse, ladies man, foodie, smart dresser, and weathered traveler, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, January 13, 2022.

Robert, or “Bob” to family and friends, was a home gardener who grew his own vegetables for canning long before chefs around the country created the farm-to-table movement. Despite the fresh vegetables, it was well known that there wasn’t a Saturday night supper in the area that Bob wouldn’t heartily join, to the point where his children and grandchildren thought there needed to be sideboards to keep the food from spilling onto the tables.

The women in his life were few but powerful, and he particularly liked strong, independent ladies. He loved his mother Gladys Payne (deceased) and enjoyed the company of his sisters Donna (deceased) and Sandy, who were characters in their own right. However, the strongest and inarguably the most important woman in his life was his wife Donna, Bob’s partner and friend, before her unfortunate passing in 2019. This string of women in his life has extended to his daughter-in-laws Hajnalka and Maria and his sole granddaughter, Anastasia.

After growing up in Phippsburg alongside his sisters and brother Richard, he graduated from Morse High School in 1965 and spent from 1966-1970 in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Boston. In 1971 he made Dthe wisest decision and married Donna Jipson. If you asked Donna, she would say that it wasn’t love at first sight, but Bob wore her down, and they went on to enjoy 48 years of marriage before Donna’s passing in 2019. During this time, they raised two sons, Daryl Morse of Columbia, South Carolina, and Scott Morse of Bremerton, Washington, and Bob made an effort to teach his sons how to be good husbands and fathers. He took great pride in teaching his sons how to stock a toolbox (even if they didn’t listen when they were kids).

Bob has had a life-long love affair with after-dinner mints, cherry vanilla ice cream, and chocolate mayonnaise cake and was known across the family as their “MacGyver” since it seemed he could fix anything whether electrical, plumbing or just general carpentry. He enjoyed spending his spare time finding a project, even when visiting his sons and grandchildren, and it would always be completed by the time he went home.

He also excelled at growing a vegetable garden, listening to his police scanner, living within his means, outsmarting squirrels and other small woodland animals, and never losing a card game (to Donna’s constant frustration). In addition, he loved to watch the 6 & 10 PM local news followed by any show on the Discovery channel to the point that his grandchildren could name all the shows on that channel even if they hadn’t seen them.

He took great pride in his two grandchildren, Ronan (19) and Anastasia (15) Morse of Columbia, South Carolina, for whom he would keep up-to-date on the local weather and events in Phippsburg. As a former career employee of Central Maine Power, Bob was always aware of power outages in the area and liked to know when the electrical trucks were out on calls.

Bob took his fashion cues from no one. His everyday look was distinctive: a shirt from Tractor Supply Co. (which he was proud to tell his grandchildren he bought on sale), Dickie work pants or Levi jeans, and the ubiquitous USS Boston baseball cap.

Bob and Donna traveled extensively. In the early years, it was to take Daryl and Scott to swim meets around New England. After retirement, it was to camp in their pop-up camper at Cathedral Pines, rent a trailer in Okeechobee, Florida, or visit his old shipmates from the USS Boston wherever the reunion was held that particular year.

He disliked phonies, his Dodge Pinto (which his family thought he secretly loved), flatlanders, cats, and driving in the city (for which it was guaranteed by his family that he had memorized every highway that avoided any town over 5,000 people).

To keep with his pride as a Maineiac and enjoyment of the long winters, the family will hold a graveside service at Morningside Cemetery in Phippsburg later in the spring, where he will join his wife, partner, and best friend, Donna.

Please share your condolences, and more importantly the best stories about Bob, at FuneralAlternatives.net. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you contribute to the American Legion in Bob’s honor:  American Legion Post 216, PO Box 93, Phippsburg, ME 04562.