OBITUARY Gerald A. Morrissey, Jr. January 5, 1943 – December 29, 2018 Play Tribute Movie Gerald A. Morrissey, Jr., 75, of New Bedford, died Saturday, December 29, 2018 at home following a long illness. He was the husband of Marianne (Lawrence) Morrissey with whom he shared 32 years of marriage. Born in Fall River, the son of the late Gerald A. Morrissey, Sr. and Helen Cecelia (Irish) Morrissey, he was a lifelong resident of New Bedford, a city he truly loved and knew.
He was a graduate of New Bedford High School, class of 1961, and received a Bachelor of Science –Marketing from Southeastern Massachusetts University in 1973. His great love of theater began during these college years where he learned and thrived under the influence of Angus Bailey, a beloved mentor and friend. Following graduation, Mr. Morrissey began work as an English teacher at Bishop Stang High School and made his first commitment to theater by forming the Bishop Stang Theater Company.
Most recently and until his retirement in 2015, Mr. Morrissey worked as an inspector for the New Bedford Housing Authority where he came to know and care deeply for the residents he served. Concurrently, he founded the Voc Tech Theater Company (VTTC) in the year 2000. During the past 18 years, Mr. Morrissey has shared the beauties and magic of live theater and its life-giving powers with young people through a total of 31 productions – all staged, produced and directed by Morrissey with his wife and Associate Director, Marianne.
“I could do none of this without Marianne! ” Surviving in addition to his wife are three sons, Michael A. Morrissey and wife Tracey of Winter Garden, FL, Matthew A. Morrissey and wife Kristin of New Bedford and Gerald A. Morrissey, III and wife Kara of Washington, DC; a sister, Kathleen Sheehy of Maryland; a brother-in-law, Joseph McCann of Tallahassee, FL; eleven grandchildren, Lauren, Maddie, Mack, Michael, Zan, Zoelle, Henri, Wilson, Gerald IV, Stuart and Cecelia; and several nieces and nephews. He was the former husband of Claudette (Roy) Viall.
He was predeceased by two sisters, Anne McCann and Sheila Morrissey and a brother-in-law, John Sheehy. Visiting hours, Wednesday, January 2, 2019 from 4-8pm in the ROCK Funeral Home, 1285 Ashley Blvd. , New Bedford.
Funeral Mass, Thursday, January 3, 2019 at 9am at Holy Name of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, 121 Mt. Pleasant St., New Bedford. Burial in St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Fall River.
In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to Voc-Tech Theater Co., 1121 Ashley Blvd. , New Bedford, MA 02745. For online tributes please visit: www.
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