Obituary of N. Morgan Brassler

N. Morgan Brassler (Norman) Morgan Brassler, age 75, passed away peacefully at his home on Hilton Head Island, SC, surrounded by his family. His life began on February 24, 1942 in Passaic, NJ and ended on December 9, 2017. He is survived by his wife, Diane, his three devoted children, Karen, Nora & David, his three grandchildren, Jack, Emerson & Chase and his sister, Carolyn Osmun. He was a graduate of Muhlenberg College in 1964 and obtained his MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He worked at the Bank of New York (BNY) in New York City from 1965 through 2002. A lifelong travel enthusiast, he travelled extensively throughout his career which continued into his retirement. From 1975 through 1979 he and his family lived in Hong Kong so that he could manage the successful merger of Irving Trust and Wing Hang Bank. After the acquisition of Irving Trust by Bank of New York in 1988, Morgan continued as an Executive Vice President in charge of the Asia division. Of his professional life, he would often say “success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success and if you love what you do, you will be successful”. Of his personal life he would say, “family is everything”. Morgan married his high school sweetheart Diane, on May 29, 1965. They were married for 52 years living in New Jersey, Hong Kong, Pennsylvania & South Carolina. Throughout their marriage, they enjoyed travelling, skiing, golf, tennis and, above all else, a constant joy of spending time with their children and grandchildren. He would often say throughout the best times in his life, he was always surrounded by friends and family. Morgan had an amazing sense of humor and shared his love of laughter with everyone he knew. If Morgan was in a room, people wanted to be near him; to share in his always inquisitive conversations and perspectives. His gift was his heart and it beat stronger when his family was near. A constant perfectionist, Morgan enjoyed the process of working towards accomplishment. The long hours spent in the office, at the driving range or waking up at 4:30 AM to enjoy the best ski conditions were the building blocks to the mansion of his life. Some people would call this hard work, but to Morgan, it wasn’t work at all, it was just who he was. He was generous beyond words. He was strong and brave and remarkably kind. He believed in the quality of life, not the quantity of days. He did what he wanted to do and he did it very well. He leaves behind a legacy of love, a heritage of gratitude and the lessons of a life well-lived. Private services will be held at a later date. The Island Funeral Home and Crematory. islandfuneralhome.com. To send flowers or a remembrance gift to the family of N. Morgan Brassler, please visit our Flower & Gift Shop.