Lucien Ellis Morris, Md

Lucien Morris died peacefully in his sleep at home on November 15th, 2011, two weeks before his 97th birthday. Lucien was born November 30, 1914, at Mattoon, Illinois, and grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, where his father was Head of the Biochemistry Department in the School of Medicine, Western Reserve University. Lucien went to Oberlin College, in Oberlin, Ohio, graduating as a chemistry major in 1936, and then began Ph.D. studies in Biochemistry at the Graduate School of Western Reserve University. Later, to better understand what he needed to know to teach medical students, he enrolled in the Medical School at Western Reserve University, where he received the M.D. degree in 1943. While teaching a biochemistry laboratory class for graduate students, Lucien met the love of his life, Ethel Jean Pinder, who he married on June 27, 1942. Jean and Lucien were inseparable as they travelled the world together for more than 69 years. During World War II, Lucien spent more than two and one-half years of anesthesia assignments in the U.S. Army Medical Corps, including one year in England as head of the Anesthesia and Operating Room section of a U.S. Army Receiving Hospital. On return to civilian life, the first step was a residency with Professor Ralph Waters, M.D. at the University of Wisconsin. Then there were five years spent on the faculty at the University of Iowa, before moving to Seattle in 1954 to accept an appointment as the original Professor of Anesthesiology at the University of Washington. Lucien resigned his position at the University of Washington in 1960, moved into private practice and set up an active anesthesia research laboratory in conjunction with the development of the prestigious Heart Center at Providence Hospital, Seattle. In 1968, Lucien moved back to academia as Professor of Anaesthesia at the University of Toronto, Canada, where he established a new Anaesthesia Research Laboratory for Canada. In 1970, he was appointed Founding Chairman of the Department of Anesthesia at the Medical College of Ohio, Toledo, Ohio, where he remained until 1985. In retirement, Lucien continued to lecture and teach at various places both in the United States and abroad. He remained active in the American Society of Anesthesiologists, was elected a Fellow, Faculty of Anaesthetists, Royal College of Surgeons (England) and was invested as Honorary Fellow, Faculty of Anaesthetists, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. He continued to write, publishing his last paper, a historical article on anesthesia, in July, 2011. Lucien is most widely recognized for his design and introduction of a precision anesthesia vaporizer system commonly known as The Copper Kettle, which for more than twenty-five years was the standard anesthesia apparatus in most teaching hospitals in the United States. Lucien also coached fencing as a University sport, guided canoe trips in Temagami, Ontario, and was an avid downhill skier from the time he learned at age 41 until his last run at age eighty-five. Lucien had a long and remarkable career and life; influencing multiple generations in the art and science of anesthesiology, fencing, canoeing and life. He will be missed by his extended family, friends, students and colleagues worldwide. Lucien was preceded in death by his grandson Ian Colby Morris, his son James Lucien Morris and his sister Marcia Morris Webb Long. He is survived by his wife Jean, son Robert (Debora), daughter Sara Jean Morris Hoffman (Bill), son Donald (Jana), daughter Laura Morris Bean (Doug), son Mark Chang (Debbie) and sixteen grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Announcement: The family requests that remembrance contributions be made to the Lucien E. Morris Anesthesiology Scholarship Fund at the University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, or a favorite charity of your choice.