Morrison Beach

BEACH, Morrison H. Morrison H. Beach age 89, of West Hartford and Groton Long Point, died at home surrounded by his loving family on Tuesday, December 5, 2006. Morrison is survived by his devoted wife of 64 years, Evelyn. He is also survived by children, Howard Beach and his wife, Pam and their children Justin, Ashley and Ryan of Simsbury; Deborah Beach and her children Brittany and Timothy Porro of West Hartford; and Linda and her husband Jerry Bouffard and their children, Juan Howe, Jerry Bouffard, Jr., Barbara Kana, and Jennifer Bouffard, and grandchildren Olivia, and Amber. Morrison was the President and then Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of the Travelers Insurance Company between 1970 until his retirement in 1982. He was graduated from Williams College magna cum laude, Highest Honors in Economics, and a member of Phi Beta Kappa, attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology and received a J.D. degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law and was a member of the Connecticut Bar. He was appointed to the White House Conference on Aging by President Carter to chair the key task force on the Elderly and the Economy. President Reagan appointed him to be a member of the US delegation to the United Nations World Assembly on Aging held in Vienna in 1982 when he retired from the Board of the American Association on International Aging and the National Council on Aging from which he received the NCOA Exemplary Service Award. During World War II, he attained the rank of Major in the US Air Force. He trained in Meteorology at M.I.T., and was stationed in England where he was in a special task force that advised General Eisenhower and the Allied Command on weather conditions leading up to the historic D-Day invasion. Morrison served on multiple Boards including, The Hartford Hospital, the Red Cross, Kingswood-Oxford School, Trinity College, the Bushnell Memorial Hall, the Hartford Seminary Foundation, and the Y.M.C.A. In addition to his devotion to his family, Morrison was passionate about his work to ensure the preservation and restoration of the historic Old State House and his work with the Y.M.C.A. Funeral services will be Saturday, December 9, 2 p.m. in the First Church of Christ Congregational 12 S. Main Street West Hartford. Burial will follow in Fairview Cemetery, West Hartford. Friends and family may call from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. on Friday at the Molloy Funeral Home 906 Farmington Ave. West Hartford. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Old State House 800 Main Street , Hartford, CT 06103 or The Y.M.C.A. Attn: Development Office 241 Trumbull Street Hartford, CT 06103.