Richard William (Dick) Morris - 9 January 1927 to 26 April 2026

Dick’s schooling began at St Cyprians making him an old boy of that girls’ school. Later he attended St Johns and then Bishops where he gained a first class matric in 1943 and stayed on in the post matric class of 1944. He was a prefect in Ogilvie House.

Dick shone at sport. He trained diligently and competed to win. Bishops awarded him full colours for athletics, rugby and boxing. He won the 100, 220, 440, 660 and 880 yards races at Bishops in 1943 and 1944 and still holds the record for the 660 yards as this event is no longer run. He played wing for the First XV and rugby instilled in him the merit of teamwork (not dropping the ball or failing to tackle), an approach that served well in his marriage and professional life.

Dick completed a B Com at Wits in 1947.  He articled at Cooper Brothers & Co later Coopers & Lybrand and now PWC. Before 1961 the currency was pounds, shillings and pence. Dick could run his fingers down a column of such amounts and write down the correct total. This was a valuable practical skill in the era before electronic calculators and spreadsheets.

Dick developed an early addiction to cryptic crosswords and enjoyed playing bridge. Solving the difficult London Times crossword was a daily ritual. In the early 1980s Dick compiled over 10  “Cooperyptic Crosswords by RWM” that appeared in the 6 monthly Coopers & Lybrand Southern Africa Journal. Apart from extending a wide vocabulary and powerful command of English, this probably helped build a cognitive reserve that meant his mind stayed lucid and as sharp as a steel trap into his late nineties. Dick’s memory was also remarkable. He could recall poems, Shakespeare passages and rugby match details from his youth.

Dick qualified as a chartered accountant in May 1951. He married Shirley Jack in February 1952.  She had grown up in Brisbane, Australia. He spent most of 1956 at the London office of Coopers. On returning to Johannesburg Dick became a partner from 1957 until his retirement in 1987. He specialized in South African and International tax law from 1970 on and as senior tax partner explained this role as “like writing an exam every day” because all the most complex tax issues of clients tended to be escalated up to him for resolution. Dick regarded Coopers as a great firm to have been with, highlights being attendance at International Partners Conferences (with wives) in Sydney (3 times), London, San Diego and Toronto.

Dick did pro bono work for many years on the finances of St Barnabas College in Johannesburg from its inception and on those of the newly founded Coomera Anglican College, once he and Shirley had moved to Queensland in 1994.

He was awarded honorary life membership of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants probably for his work on resolving shortcomings in the new 1976 Companies Act of South Africa, flaws that made important aspects unworkable in practice.

Dick was warm, generous and had a sense of humour. Devoted to family and clients Dick was outgoing and hospitable and with Shirley’s most capable support as hostess they maintained a wide circle of lasting friendships.

Though now passed into a spiritual dimension his admirable legacy endures. Dick will be remembered fondly and greatly missed by family including 5 children, 13 grandchildren and over 20 great grandchildren and all those who knew him.

The ODU and the Bishops Communities send their deepest condolences to Richard (1970F), Janet, Rosemary, Meg, Anne and their families.

RIP Dick Morris.

Requiescat in Pace.