Richard Allan Morley

Richard Allan Morley was born in San Bernardino, California, on August 1st, 1936. His father was Jens Allan Morley and his mother was Wanda Lorraine (McCartney) Morley who were married on July 8, 1935, and resided at the time of Richard’s birth in Highland, California. Like his father before him and his son after him, Richard attended San Bernardino High School, but graduated from Pacific High School in San Bernardino. He later graduated with a BA degree in Economics from the University of California, Riverside, in July of 1959 and an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley, in December of 1976.

On August 27th, 1955, Richard married Norma Ruth White in San Bernardino. They had three children: Steven Allan Morley born December 27, 1956, Lorrie Lynn Morley born August 28, 1959, and Sandra Sue Morley born March 14, 1962. Richard and Norma later were divorced in 1967.

Richard married Joan Louise (Young) Walker on September 14th, 1973, in Highland, California, and they remained happily married until Richard’s death.

Richard worked in a number of jobs during his college career including at a bank and as a camera salesman in a major department store. After graduating with his BA degree, he worked 17 years for Kaiser Steel Corporation and Kaiser Industries in a variety of accounting and internal auditing positions. While at Kaiser, Richard worked at their Fontana, California, steel factory, at their Eagle Mountain, California iron ore mine, and at their corporate headquarters in Oakland, California. Upon receiving his MBA, he worked as a stockbroker for two boutiaque brokerages in the San Francisco Bay Area and as an internal auditor for Guy F. Atkinson, a large multi-national civil engineering company.

In 1978, Richard and Joan moved to the Portland, Oregon, area where he worked as the Vice President of Finance as Sonic International and AAR Corporation before becoming a partner in Red’s Hot Tubs.

Richard then changed careers to work as an internal auditor for several government entities including Multnomah County, the City of Portland, and the State of Oregon. It was during these public service positions that Richard’s interest in politics grew and eventually led him to run for the office of Oregon Secretary of State in 2004 and for Governor of Oregon in 2006 as the Libertarian candidate.

After leaving public service, Richard worked as an independent auditor consultant, as an accountant, and as a professor of accounting at the University of Phoenix where he served as the head of faculty for the Tigard campus before retiring in 2002.

In spite of his many illustrious careers throughout his life, Richard is most remembered by those who knew him for his multiple passions outside of the office. He was an avid fly fisherman, a trap shooter, and an accomplished gardener. He loved to camp and travel, but he did not deny the world the benefits of his creative talent which was expressed in his professional piano playing, singing, and theatrical acting and directing in numerous productions in community theaters spanning a twenty year legacy.

But, even more significantly, Richard will be remembered for the passion he expressed in his relationships with his wife, his children, his grandchildren, and his friends and neighbors. He gave himself to drawing close to his relatives to inspire them, to provide a solid upright example, and to support them to be all that they could be in their own lives. In this his greatest legacy will remain – in the positive influence he manifested in his family and friends.

Richard was taken from this earth suddenly and unexpectedly on July 20th, 2011. He is greatly missed and his passing leaves a hole in the lives of all who knew him. We will remember him best by living to the example he set and following the inspiration he spawned in each of us.

Richard is survived by his wife of nearly 38 years, Joan Morley, and by his two living children, Steven Morley and Sandra Sailer, seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Arrangements under the direction of Young's Funeral Home, Tigard, OR.