Mary Ella Dodd Morse, 89, of Panama City, Florida passed away peacefully with family by her side on March 16, 2017.

Born in Dallas, Texas on July 25, 1927, she was the only child of the late Austin Smiley Dodd and Linda Washington Dodd. While growing up in Dallas, she participated in Campfire Girls, marching band, and the Civil Air Patrol, Mary graduated from Highland Park High School, and attended Southern Methodist University as well as Southwestern before graduating from the University of Texas with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology. It was while there that she met Robert G. Morse yet again, who had returned to finish college following WW2 Army Air Corp service in Australia and the Philippines. They had met occasionally several times while growing up despite living in vastly distant parts of Texas, and they eventually married in September of 1950. Afterwards, they lived in New Orleans, and then Pensacola before finally moving to the waterfront of St. Andrews Bay in Panama City, Florida in 1956 where the home remains today. While raising her family, Mary was also a longtime social worker for the State of Florida, and later served as the district Supervisor of Adoptions for many years up until her retirement, which followed the loss of her husband Robert in 1987. The family attended Wallace Memorial Presbyterian Church, and then later at Grace Presbyterian Church.

In the meantime, Mary enjoyed piloting her sailboat in St. Andrews Bay as well as regularly beachcombing the shoreline. She was also a remarkable green-thumb gardener, delivered Meals-on-Wheels, participated in Bay County Audubon activities, supported the Bay County Conservancy, Tri-Delta sorority, Pilot Club, Eastern Star, and assisted with the curriculum organization for the Education Encore program at nearby Gulf Coast Community College. She encouraged self-reliance, researched all endeavors thoroughly, and maintained an authentic knowledge base on many classic as well as unusual topics. Through all such pursuits, whether in career or in retirement, she cheerfully served in many ways that will never be known to us, and in so doing now quietly leaves the world as a better place.

Mary is survived by her three engineer sons, Carl Morse & wife Laura of Tallahassee, Florida; Curtis Morse & wife Heather of Dunwoody, Georgia; and Vance Morse now retired at the family home in Panama City; plus her four grandchildren:  Adrienne Morse, Evelyn Morse, Matthew Morse, and Nathan Morse. The family conveys thanks to all who drew inspiration from Mary to carry on in her spirit as a positive undercurrent in their own varied pursuits, and extends its profound appreciation to the experienced and caring staff of Mathison Retirement Center, Panama City Nursing Center, and Emerald Coast Hospice for their many known and unknown sacrifices to assist this special member from the greatest generation through her last several years of life.

Visitation with family and friends will be on Saturday, March 25, 2017 from 12 to 1:30 p.m. at Wilson Funeral Home. A graveside service will be held at 2pm, on Saturday. March 25, 2017 at Evergreen Memorial Gardens (3733 N. Hwy 231 Panama City, Florida  32404). In memory of Mary, kindly remember to do something of benefit for the next living creature you encounter as she would have done.  Please view and sign her online guest book at wilsonfuneralhome.net.