Obituary of Arthur J. Morrow

Arthur J. Morrow, age 100, from The Seabrook, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, passed away peacefully at The Fraser Health Center on May 31, 2023. Art grew up in Kittanning, PA. He earned his Eagle Scout Badge with 2 Palm awards early in High School. He entered the USNA from Penn State College in the summer of 1942 and graduated on June 1945. Upon graduation, he reported to the USS Walker DD517 in Tokyo Bay. Decommissioning of Walker brought orders to USS Power DD839 in December 1945; followed by deployment to the Mediterranean where Power escorted USS Missouri on her historic visit to Istanbul on mid-1946. Art received orders in mid-1947 to MIT Radar School. He met and married his wife, Barbara Cunningham of Greenfield, MA, in September 1948. Upon completion at MIT in January 1949, he was assigned as Electronics Repair Officer, USS Toledo CA-133. His daughter, Sandra, was born during the first of three West Pac deployments of Toledo, the last two during the Korean Was including Inchon invasion. While underway in calm seas off West Korea, he led a repair team up the after mast to effect repairs on the Fighter Director Radar antenna. He then received orders to the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project, Albuquerque, NM. After training, he deployed with NSWU1233 on USS Kearsarge VA-33 for his third Korean War deployment.

Art resigned his commission in early 1954 from Special Weapons Unit Pacific at NAS North Island, Coronado, CA.

As a civilian engineer, he first worked for MIT’s Lincoln Lab on the USAF Early Warning System. While there, his son Jon was born. He then joined Sperry Gyroscope Company, where he was involved in USAF ELINT systems. His next job was with Harris Corporation as the civilian program manager for the Air Navy’s first automated versatile avionics test system, VAST. All carriers and several NAS’s had this system installed. He spent much time visiting all sites to ensure Navy satisfaction with this new test system. He retired from Harris in June of 1988.

He was active in many organizations: served 34 years as USNA Blue and Gold Officer on Long Island, NY and Beaufort County, SC; served as Nuclear Officer in Nassau County, NY Civil Defense in the late 50’s and early 60’s; 20 years on the Vestry of South Huntington, NY Episcopal Church, receiving the Bishop’s Medal for his service; president of several civic associations on Long Island; and finally, over 20 years as a volunteer house builder for Habitat for Humanity, Beaufort County, SC.

He was very fond of day-sailing his 26-foot sloop on Long Island Sound and the tidal waters of Beaufort. His wife, Barbara, pre-deceased him on December 20, 2007. His fiancé, Ann Vardee Milliken, pre-deceased him on June 24, 2014. He is survived by his daughter Sandra Morrow and her husband Gene Rascle of Saint Helena, SC, their daughter Samantha and granddaughter Eleanor, his son Jon Morrow and his wife Diane of Montgomery, TX, their children Jennifer Morrow and Jon Morrow Jr. and his wife Eunice and their six children.

Memorial services will be conducted on a future date with internment at the USNA Columbarium alongside his wife.

Memorial donations may be made to Habitat for Humanity, 616 Parris Island Gateway, Beaufort, SC 29906 or Parish Church of St. Helena, 505 Church Street, Beaufort, SC 29902 or The Seabrook

Foundation Fund, 300 Woodhaven Drive, Hilton Head, SC 29928, or USNA Foundation, Annapolis, MD for memorials by USNA Alumni only.