Evan B. Morris, of Bremen, died at his home on Feb. 18. He was born to Francesca B. Morris and John L. Morris in New York City on June 17, 1953. His love and connection to Maine started nearly five decades ago on Pemaquid Point as a young boy from the city who spent enchanted summers in a cottage his family built. As a young city boy, a beloved local man taught him how to fish, a passion he would carry with him throughout the rest of his life. His dream of living full time in Maine came to fruition when he married his wife Stephany on June 7, 1998.
In Maine, he was known as the easygoing, witty and kind, cigar smoking, antique fishing guy who played the piano summers at the Bradley Inn and taught piano and music theory at the Deck House School in Edgecomb.
Many didn’t know he had an extensive career in music preparation, arrangement and composition. He graduated in 1971 from Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua, N.Y. and then went on to attend the Berklee School of Music in Boston, Mass. where his gift for music arrangement, theory and composition was quickly recognized.
In 1979 he joined Chelsea Music, Inc., a Manhattan music preparation company for Broadway musicals. In 1982 he became a partner in Chelsea Music, Inc., working on shows such as The Lion King, Chicago, Oz, and Something Funny Happened on the Way to the Forum. Often working alongside his father, a Broadway and film composer, over the years he traveled to Prague and London, Los Angeles and Paris to work on movies such as Dirty Dancing, Scarlett and several Hallmark movies for television. At the time of his death, he was working hard to complete the orchestrations for Stephan, an opera for stage his father John wrote several years ago.
For Evan, every day brought a new adventure, a fascination with a new hobby, or a new person in his life. He just simply loved life … the little, everyday things such as watching for bluebirds or finding a great yard sale to the bigger things such as traveling to the Miramichi River in New Brunswick to salmon fish for a week. His friends and adventures span the country.
Described by many as a passionate man, he found the most fulfillment of his many passions through his family.
Evan is survived by his wife, Stephany Morris of Bremen; children, Hayley Morris of Brooklyn, N.Y., Sean Morris of Brooklyn, N.Y., Ryan Morris, wife, Ivy and grandson, Skye of Edinburgh, Scotland; stepchildren, Jacob Achorn of Atlanta, Ga., Kate Achorn-Dunstan and husband Keith Dunstan of Pemaquid, and Megan Achorn of Bremen; parents, John and Francesca Morris of Pemaquid Point and Chappaqua, N.Y.; sister, Bronwen H. Morris of Woodstock, N.Y.; nieces, Shana Handschumacher of Woodstock, N.Y., and Misha Handschumacher of Brooklyn, N.Y.; beloved grandchildren, Kyle, Makenna, Reese, Sloan, and Skye; mother-in-law, Esther Frye of Rockport; brothers-in-law, Stephen Ramsdell, wife Jean of Warren and children Christopher and Amy, and Scott Ramsdell, wife Nicole of Charlotte, N.C. and children, Tessa and Vesper.
At his request, a celebration of life will take place on Sat., July 5 at his family’s summer home on Pemaquid Point.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Evan Morris Music Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 222, Bremen, ME 04551.
