Former Shore multi-sport high school star who became school superintendent mourned

A celebration of life will be held Thursday (Jan. 25) to mark the passing of Peter R. Morris, a former Brick Township High School standout athlete and later an educator who died Saturday. He was 56.

The gathering will take place from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Weatherhead Young Funeral Home in Brick.

Morris died after suffering a massive heart attack while attending his two sons’ hockey game on Saturday evening, according to a GoFundMe page created to assist the family.

Morris was an iconic multi-sport athlete in the 1980s for Brick Township High School and later at American International College. A graduate of the class of 1985, he also played football for the Dragons and was a quarterback during their run of three straight South Jersey section titles from 1981 to 1983.

But undoubtedly his most impressive athletic legacy was on the ice. During his junior and senior seasons at Brick Township, the Dragons were state runner-ups in back-to-back years. As a team leader, he laid the foundation for the team that eventually broke through and won a state title the year after he graduated in 1986.

Morris continued his hockey career at American International College in Massachusetts. Then an NCAA Division III program, his career marked the revitalizing of the program that culminated with a conference championship in his final year.

As a team captain, he finished fourth on the team in total points with 53 and his 24 goals were third on the team. Despite winning the league title by beating the top two teams in the conference, the Yellow Jackets were unable to compete for a national title after being left out of the NCAA tournament. Babson, who AIC beat in the ECAC conference tournament, was instead given the chance to compete for the D-III title.

Morris’ passion for Brick Township was extended to his two sons, Peter and Matt, who play for the Brick co-op hockey team. Peter is a junior who will play collegiately for D-I Lake Superior State, and there is considerable pressure for top recruits to play more competitively for private programs and prep schools. But he chose to play this season alongside his younger brother, a freshman.

After college, he returned to Brick Township as a special education teacher in 1992. That marked the start of a long career in education with stints as assistant principal at Brick Memorial and superintendent of the Lavallette and Bay Head school districts. Most recently, he had taken over as the director of transportation for Brick Township Schools.

His affinity for education was also reflected by the attainment of a master’s degree in education at Georgian Court University and a doctorate of education at Rowan University. He also was an adjunct professor at Georgian Court.

Morris is survived by his wife Brooke and three children Laine, Peter and Matt.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Former Shore multi-sport high school star who became school superintendent mourned