Charles Rodger Morris passed away peacefully on July 11, 2024, at the age of 80. Rodger was a lifelong tinkerer, planner, fixer, and sailor who possessed a gentle intelligence and a low-key but often deeply silly sense of humour.
For decades, he was a respected architect in Vancouver, and the results of his work with Arthur Erickson and Boak Alexander can still be seen throughout the city, including the Museum of Anthropology, the striking sunlit roof of the Law Courts building, and the conversion of Science World from Expo 86 legacy building to permanent science centre. He also worked on several memorable Expo pavilions and installations.
In his spare time, Rodger was a passionate recreational sailor who adored sailing his family and close friends from anchorage to anchorage in the Gulf Islands and beyond. But while he was drawn to adventures at sea, he also appreciated nothing more than a quiet evening at home with a cold beer, a hockey game on TV, and a pad of graph paper on his lap for sketching solutions to whatever challenge happened to be occupying his mind that day.
Born in Toronto and raised in Oakville, Ontario, Rodger graduated from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in 1967, where he would meet his future wife, Susan, and the University of British Columbia's School of Architecture in 1971 before beginning his architectural career in Vancouver.
Rodger is predeceased by his parents, Charles and Dorothy Morris. He is survived by his loving wife of nearly 56 years, Susan Morris (née Klaas), his sons Jeff (Jennica) and Brad (Sarah), and two beloved granddaughters, Dinah and Dorothy. His family, friends, and former colleagues loved him very much and he will be missed by many.
In lieu of flowers, the family would like to encourage a donation to the Alzheimer Society of BC or Yaletown House. A memorial service for Rodger will be held at a later date.
