Norman L. Morton Sr.
Norman Larson Morton Sr., a lifelong baseball and tennis player, died on Oct. 31 at home in Stuart, Fla. He was 92 and his health had been declining.
Mr. Morton was born in Roselle, N.J., on Feb. 12, 1925, to Norman Morton and the former Ida Larson. He went to school there and graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in business administration. His earned run average record while a pitcher at Rutgers has yet to be broken, according to his wife.
Mr. Morton served as an ensign in the Navy for more than two years in World War II, in both the Mediterranean and the Pacific.
He was recruited by several Major League Baseball teams, including the New York Yankees, the New York Giants, and the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system, and played for three years, until 1952, for the New Orleans Pelicans. In 1995 he was inducted into the Union County Baseball Hall of Fame.
After leaving baseball, Mr. Morton went to work with his father as a land developer and residential builder in Westfield and Warren, N.J. He switched his allegiance from baseball to tennis, and built the Mountainside Indoor Tennis Center in Mountainside, N.J. He was a longtime member of the Westfield Tennis Club and the Echo Lake Country Club. “Norman so enjoyed a round of golf with dear friends,” said his wife, who survives.
He was a member of the Westfield Presbyterian Church, where he served as a deacon and helped make improvements so as to provide shelter for people in need.
Mr. Morton’s first wife, Anna Bell Olsen Morton, died before him. They had three children, who survive: Eva Morton Bell of Barnegat, N.J., Lisa Morton Bruce of West Chester, Pa., and Norman L. Morton Jr. of Stuart. Two granddaughters, two great-grandsons, and several nieces and nephews survive as well. His sisters, Phyllis Morton Harris and Mildred Morton Ley, died before him.
When Mr. Morton retired to Stuart, he met his second wife, the former Anne-Marie Scheitlie Burr, who had a house in East Hampton. Starting in 1991 they spent their summers here and were members of the Maidstone Club. In Stuart, he enjoyed golf, tennis, and bridge and served on the board of trustees of the Mariner Sands Chapel. He volunteered his building expertise to help with the planning and construction of a residence known as Molly’s House, for families of ailing Mariner Sands members.
A private burial will take place tomorrow at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield, N.J. The family has suggested memorial donations to Mariner Sands Chapel, 6500 Southeast Congressional Way, Stuart, Fla. 34997 or Molly’s House, 430 Southeast Osceola Street, Stuart, Fla, 34994.
A memorial service will be held on Dec. 1 at 2 p.m. at the Mariner Sands Chapel.