Thesil Morlan, 66, of Waldoboro, died unexpectedly of a cerebral aneurysm on Dec. 9 at Maine Medical Center. She was born on Nov. 24, 1945, in Greensboro, N.C., as the first child of Robert H. and Anne M. (Matthews) Morlan. She was known as Shirley Anne in her childhood in Redlands, Cal. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Mount Holyoke College in 1967 with high honors and great distinction. She was a life-long learner and scholar. She moved to Maine in 1972 and lived in the mid-coast area since then.
She was a gifted, deeply committed and caring person with a keen mind and gentle humor. She created beauty, and provided learning and inspiration all her life. Her life was tirelessly dedicated to justice and human rights. She worked (as a volunteer) for Amnesty International at the local, regional, national and international levels for over 30 years. She was a leader of the Bath-Brunswick group, the state coordinator of volunteers, leader of various national committees and of the group that worked of European issues. She wrote and produced the annual nation-wide Banned Books Week materials, which resulted in many actions for those imprisoned for their ideas and writings. She designed and wrote many other publications and letters for Amnesty and other organizations, notably the World Federalist organizations. For them, she developed Minerva, a twice-yearly journal of ideas about the rule of law. She worked for WFA briefly as regional staff, later as a volunteer and was a member of the World Federalist Institute at the time of her death. She was an active member of the United Nations Association of Maine, serving as its leader for several years. She also was a writer, editor and designer for other causes and employers. Through all these activities, she concentrated particularly on issues for women and girls and was a strong advocate for their education and rights.
Although she chose to work primarily on the causes listed above, she was also an artist. Her gardens were a source of great joy. She found deep comfort and delight in the various dogs and cats that she owned and rescued throughout her life as well as the farm animals that her sister Susan kept.
She is survived by her mother, Anne of Waldoboro; sisters, Janet of Corvallis, Ore. and Susan of Waldoboro; brother, Larry and his children, Kirse Sujatha and Peter Sajeeth of Tisvildeleje, Denmark; close friend, Joanna Jones; dogs and cats; and dear friend, Michael Pelletier of Jamaica Plain, Mass.
A summer gathering at her home and gardens in Waldoboro will be held in late June 2012 in her memory. She is also being honored by the various organizations for which she worked.
Memorial donations or volunteer efforts may be given to Mount Holyoke College, Amnesty International, UNA-Maine, or to Knox or Lincoln County animal shelters.
