Donald Irvine Morris

Donald Irvine Morris, Navy veteran, radio engineer, and lifelong Oregonian, passed away on January 20, 2016, at the age of 92.

Don was born on October 27, 1923. Although his birth certificate listed Moro, Oregon, he often explained that his actual birthplace was about halfway between Moro and Wasco, one mile east of the highway in the middle of a wheat field. He was the only child of Irvine Roy Morris and Esther Elizabeth (Cushman) Morris.

Don spent his early childhood in Oregon’s high desert country around Moro. During the Great Depression, the family moved frequently around Oregon as his father searched for work. His father worked on road crews near Silver Lake, on a stretch of Highway 101 near Yachats, and even spent several months sluicing for gold along the Klamath River before eventually returning to the high desert in 1934 to open a farm equipment repair shop.

In 1937, Don’s father accepted a job selling tractors in The Dalles, Oregon, where Don later completed high school.

On November 13, 1942, Don was sworn into the United States Navy in Portland, Oregon. He completed basic training in Farragut, Idaho, followed by diesel training in Champaign-Urbana and Norfolk, Virginia, and later attended a General Motors factory school in Cleveland, Ohio. He graduated with the rank of Fireman First Class (third-class petty officer).

After completing training, Don was assigned to the Zuni, a seagoing Navy tug built in Portland shipyards. During World War II, he spent much of his service towing damaged battleships back to Pearl Harbor for repair.

Following his honorable discharge in 1946, Don attended school in Eugene, Oregon, where he earned his First Class Phone license and began his career in radio broadcasting. His first radio position was at KIHR in Hood River, Oregon, which began broadcasting in October 1950. It was there that he met Patricia Platz, who would become his wife.

Don and Pat were married on December 15, 1951, and spent the next five years living in Hood River while raising their growing family. During those years, they welcomed their three children: Lynn Elizabeth, Steven Roy, and Mary Kathryn (Kathy).

Around 1956, the family moved to Moses Lake, Washington, where Don worked for Federal Electric helping install electronics systems for missile silos. After approximately two years, the family relocated to Osburn, Idaho, where Don continued working in radio broadcasting. About a year later, the family settled permanently in Pendleton, Oregon.

For several years, Don worked with his father-in-law, James Platz, building frequency-testing equipment for radio and television stations. The business helped stations verify that they were broadcasting on the proper assigned frequencies.

Outside of work, Don enjoyed building and creating projects around the home. One memorable project was constructing a camper for the back of a Chevy pickup truck. The family used the camper on many trips, including visits to Arizona to see Don’s father and stepmother after their retirement, as well as a family trip to Yellowstone National Park.

The final eight years of Don’s career were spent working for Oregon Public Broadcasting. For several of those years, he spent alternating weeks atop 7,000-foot Mt. Fanny near La Grande, Oregon, maintaining and monitoring an OPB relay transmitter. During winter months he was transported by helicopter, while summer access was by vehicle.

In his final year, Don lived at the VA Veterans Home in The Dalles, Oregon.

Don will be remembered for his quiet intelligence, mechanical skill, dedication to family, and lifelong fascination with electronics and radio technology. From his Navy service aboard the Zuni to his many years in broadcasting and engineering, he lived a life marked by curiosity, craftsmanship, and perseverance.

A Cemetery Service with Military Honors will be held for Don & Pat, 11:00 a.m., Monday, June 29, 2026 at Willamette National Cemetery, Portland, Oregon.