Aubrey Leslie Morris

KERNERSVILLE -- Aubrey Leslie Morris, 95, passed away on Monday, March 17, 2014.

Aubrey was born on September 27, 1918, in the Mountain Fork Creek community near New Market, Alabama, to Andrew Thomas Morris and Iris Ozelle (Arsie) Johnson Morris.

Aubrey grew up working in the cotton fields of northern Alabama, graduating from Riverton High School in Huntsville, Alabama in 1936.

He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. His service included time at the Naval Training Station in Norfolk, Virginia, followed by a tour of duty aboard the USS Young, a destroyer-class ship, in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. He served as a signal corpsman on the ship.

After the war, he attended Alabama Polytechnic Institute (now Auburn University), where he earned a B.S. degree in Business Administration. He also completed additional courses at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Davidson Community College. Later, he helped form the Piedmont North Carolina Chapter of the Auburn University Club and served one year as president.

Aubrey married Mozelle Joyce of Stoneville, N.C., on Sept. 20, 1947 and they enjoyed 57 years together prior to her death in 2005. The couple lived most of their married lives in the home they built at 132 Oak Forest Drive in Kernersville and had two children, Richard Morris and Linda Morris Gupton.

Aubrey taught accounting, business law and business math at Draughon Business College in Winston-Salem for 21 years. He was awarded the Teacher of the Year Award by the N.C. Association of Private Business Colleges in 1970.

He also operated his own accounting business and had his office in the former Pinnix Drug Store building in downtown Kernersville, then later at his home.

Aubrey was a charter member of the Kernersville Chamber of Commerce and served as both secretary and treasurer of the organization in its early years. He also served on the chamber's Board of Directors. He served as treasurer of the Kernersville Bicentennial Celebration in 1971, which was sponsored by the chamber. In 1990, he was awarded the chamber's Community Service Award, the highest honored given by the organization.

Aubrey was one of the pioneers in the development of the Kernersville Little League Baseball program, managing and coaching the Civitan Club team from 1963-1975 and serving as treasurer of the league for 12 years. He coached one all-star team from Kernersville in the district tournament.

Aubrey was a faithful member of the Kernersville Civitan Club with perfect attendance at club meetings for 40 years. He held every office at the local club level and was instrumental in the development of the Civitan Park in Kernersville.

He also served as lieutenant governor of the 16-club Western North Carolina Civitan District and as chairman of the district Long Range Planning Committee. He was a director on the District Board of Directors, and served as district publications editor, winning an award for the best district newspaper in the entire Civitan International organization. His family received the district Family of the Year Award in 1976 and he was awarded the District Honor Key in 1977, district Civitan's highest honor.

In 2005, the local Civitan Club named Aubrey a fellow in the Civitan International Foundation which furnishes scholarships worldwide for needy students and funds research at a hospital for mentally retarded and physically handicapped children at the University of Alabama in Birmingham.

Aubrey served six years on the Kernersville Planning and Zoning Board, the last two years as chairman. He also served six years on the Board of Alderman for the Town of Kernersville. He represented the town on the City-County Transportation Advisory Board for two years and on the Emergency Management Advisory Board for four years.

A Southern Baptist by belief, he attended First Baptist Church in Kernersville for more than 45 years, serving as a substitute Sunday School teacher and as president of the Friendly Men's Bible class.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 19, 2014 at First Baptist Church, 401 Oakhurst Street, Kernersville, N.C. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will follow in the Buffalo Community Cemetery, Sandy Ridge, N.C. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to First Baptist Church or to the Kernersville Civitan Club, P.O. Box 942, Kernersville, N.C. 27284.

Hayworth Miller Kernersville Chapel is assisting the Morris family.

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