Navy wife was 'a strong angel' to those surrounding her
Published Monday January 5th, 2009
ST. ANDREWS - Stella Morrow always carried herself with incredible grace under pressure.
"She was like a strong angel," said her daughter, Jennifer Morrow.
Stella Morrow died on Boxing Day at the Passamaquoddy Lodge in St. Andrews.
Her survivors include daughter Gillian Morrow; her sister, Sheliah Pappalardo; three grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and several cousins, nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her husband, Commodore Ian Morrow; her daughter, Leslie Connor, three sisters and one brother.
Gillian Morrow said her mother was an enterprising, feisty and strong woman who had travelled the world. Her mother served in the Second World War and was based in Halifax, where she worked on blueprints for weapon design.
It was Halifax that she met her husband.
Gillian said her mother's best friend at the time would meet up with Ian Morrow, a member of the Canadian Navy, when he was in the Halifax port. One day, she said, Ian Morrow asked the friend if she wanted to go out but she had an appointment and suggested he go out with her friend Stella instead.
"They met, my father fell madly in love with her. She was a beautiful woman, lots of fun and intelligent," Gillian said. "Six weeks later they got married on board HMSC Haida."
Jennifer said her parents' loving and lasting relationship taught her a strong marriage is something that takes work.
Gillian said her mother was a great navy wife. She moved the family all over Canada and to France, and dealt with everything when her father was off at sea. She was also a great entertainer, throwing banquets and parties.
She loved animals so much she used to keep food for all the neighbourhood dogs, fed a friendly seagull breakfast every morning and gave spiders names instead of killing them.
Jennifer said she remembers her mother reading to her and teaching her to appreciate fine cuisine, film and literature.
She said her mother was also a loving grandmother.
"She was terrific. She was firm but kind," Jennifer said.
"All the boys remember she had the most beautiful aquamarine eyes and she never raised her voice or a hand. All she had to do was look and they would mind their table manners."
She remembers the time her parents were invited to dinner on a battleship after her father retired.
"They were dressed to the nines, Mom in a cocktail dress and heels. And when they got to the battleship, they realized they had to climb up the side of a rope ladder," Jennifer said.
"He graciously put her shoes in his pocket and she got up in her cocktail dress. However, she had a hard time getting dinner down because she knew she had to get off, and she did. These lovely sailors helped her off the side and she overheard one say to the other, 'That lady has guts'."
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