Pamela R. Morris

Pamela Ruth Morris, born on November 28, 1947, passed away on Thursday May 1, 2025, leaving behind a lifetime of artistic creations and a family who misses her dearly.

Pamela was born in Portsmouth, Virginia, and raised in Wilmette, Illinois, where she attended New Trier High School. She later studied at St. Francis School of Nursing and worked as a nurse on a Native American reservation in New Mexico. On a whim, she agreed to go to Vietnam, and by August of 1970, she was serving in Quang Tri as a second lieutenant, where she met her future husband, Geoffrey. Pamela was one of the U.S. Army’s few pediatric nurses in Vietnam, and her experiences were unique as she cared for the youngest, most vulnerable patients. As the story goes, Geoffrey first saw her while she was drawing blood from her own arm for a child and was immediately curious, he wanted to know who she was and why she was doing that.

Pamela and Geoffrey lived in Vermont which she always said is where her heart truly belonged before moving to Venice, Florida, in 1976. In Venice, Pamela discovered her lifelong passion for sewing. Her children fondly remember how she could make anything from scratch, including a pair of counterfeit Guess jeans — complete with the zippered ankles and sew in a personalized, loving inscription where the label might have been. Pamela’s art evolved until the very end of her life, and she leaves behind her life’s work for her family.

In today’s health-obsessed era, Pamela’s children remember her as an early adopter of all that is trendy now. She banned red food dye in the ’80s, the whole grain bread crumbled in their lunchboxes, and she was making healthy cooking substitutions before it was a thing. A wonderful cook, her children now regret all the tofu they snuck into the garbage can. They also marvel at how she managed to constantly volunteer in their classrooms, shuttle them to all their after-school activities, and lead volunteer committees. Pamela was a true believer in the importance of civic duty and community service.

Beyond her constant artistic pursuits, Pamela’s children remember her as an indulgent and loving mother. She was an easy mark when another pet was brought home or someone wanted to try a new hobby. She made it a point to buy books banned from school shelves and defied some educators by letting her children read anything as long as they were challenging themselves.

She is survived by her daughter, Julie Morris, and her husband, Jim Strickland, along with their daughters, Ayla and Sabal; her son, Grayson Morris, and his wife, Aidan, and their children, Malone, Duke, and Maeve of Newport Beach, California; her son, Andrew Morris, and his wife, Kristin, and their children, Jacob, Charleigh, Dylan, and Mia; and her daughter, Emily Stong, and her daughters, Amara and Honalee of Atlanta, Georgia.

Pamela is also survived by her former husband, Geoffrey, and her sister, Melissa McCulloch her only remaining sibling, as her younger brother, Billy, passed away just one day after she did.

Pamela will be deeply missed in this life.

A memorial gathering will be held at Farley Funeral Home in Venice from 4:00PM-5:00PM on Saturday, May 24, 2025 followed by a Celebration Life at Pam’s house, 232 Pensacola Road, Venice, Florida 34285. A private service with military honors will be held privately at Sarasota National Cemetery.