Thomas Oran Morley Sr., veteran, loved drag racing

Thomas "Tom" Oran Morley Sr. of Milton passed peacefully at home with the phenomenal guidance and support of Delaware Hospice, surrounded by his loving family Oct. 16, 2023. Tom was born at home April 10, 1939, to Jesse Calvin and Mary Ellen Morley of Sipesville, Pa.

After attending Delmar High School in Delmar, Md., Tom proudly served in the U.S Navy as a tour guide on the USS Constitution, and as a signalman on the John W. Weeks, where he always heard “Mind your helm, sailor” on his trips through the Suez Canal. He had the opportunity to cross into the Arctic Circle and loved showing his grandchildren the certificate, and claiming he got to lay eyes on the one and only Santa. Life awaited him in Maryland and after his military service, Tom spent 17 years with the U.S. Postal Service.

In his free time, Tom had a passion for drag racing at U.S. 13 Dragway in Delmar, where he was proudly known as “Tom the Bomb” while racing his father’s 1950 Chevrolet. This love of drag racing was passed down to his son, Ken, and granddaughter, Jennifer. Tom proudly watched and supported them through their racing seasons over the years. In the rest of his free time, he enjoyed traveling and was a 32nd-degree, 50-year member of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.

In addition to his parents, Tom was predeceased by his sister, Kathleen Walker. He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Althea Morley; his sister, Neva Ardis, his brother, Jesse C Morley Jr.; his children, Joanne Morley of Maryland, Thomas Morley Jr. (Donna) of Colorado, Ken Morley (Tammy) of Delaware, and Michael Morley of Delaware; his grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m., Monday, Oct. 30, at Parsell Funeral Homes and Crematorium, Atkins-Lodge Chapel, 16961 Kings Hwy., Lewes, where family and friends may visit beginning at 2 p.m. Interment will be held privately.

All unable to attend in person are invited to join the service via livestream by visiting the following link: parsellfuneralhomes.com/obituaries/permalink/11191521/LTWebcast.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in Tom's memory to Delaware Hospice, delawarehospice.org/donate.

Visit Tom's Life Memorial webpage and sign his virtual guestbook at parsellfuneralhomes.com.