David Michael (“Mike”) Morris, of Newark, Delaware, died September 8, 2026, at Christiana Hospital following a brief illness. He was 73.
Born in Chester, PA, Mike was the second son of the late David and Elizabeth Morris. He was a 1972 graduate of Concord High School, where he met his wife Cathy, the former Catherine Baseden. Mike and Cathy enjoyed more than half a century together in their Newark home, celebrating their 53rd anniversary there in August 2026.
Mike is survived by their three daughters: Carolyn Staley (Andy), of Essex, MD; Elizabeth, of Newark DE; Marianne Jones (Jim), of Bear, DE; and cherished grandchildren Will and Johanna. He is also survived by his brother Robert Morris (Diane) of Wilmington, DE. Surviving sisters-in-law are Sarah Hart of Mt. Airy, PA; and Jen Baseden and Jude Baseden, both of Drexel Hill, PA. Surviving brothers-in-law are Steven Baseden (Maylene) of Juneau, AK and Alan Baseden (Debra), of Wilmington, DE. Mike is also survived by 16 nephews and nieces as well as 11 great-nephews and great-nieces.
Mike was a quiet man who shined with a passion for cars, engines, and all things mechanical. His character was inseparable from that passion. Looking at his hands, you might have expected to see a mechanic’s roughness and brute force. Instead, you’d be struck by his finesse and gentleness. He was a man who approached machines as he would a family member–firmly, but with clarity, calmness, and understanding.
Mike’s gift for making things work showed itself early on, as he filled his room with model cars. He attracted attention from neighborhood girls looking for a ride on a minibike cobbled together from parts. By the time he started courting his high school sweetheart and future wife, Cathy, he was trading up the minibike for a succession of muscle cars: a V8 Dodge Dart, a Barracuda, and a Duster. Lacking cash to buy polished machines, he made up for it in spare parts, hard work, and ingenuity. Mike’s cars always gleamed and purred up Cathy’s driveway when he came to pick her up for school and dates.
Shortly after high-school graduation, Mike became an auto mechanic with Midway Volkswagen and then moved on to creating custom exhaust systems for customers at Midway Muffler. In 1979, he launched a highly successful and satisfying 34-year career with Amtrak, where his technical wizardry helped keep the Northeast corridor rails moving and the railroad’s highly complex locomotives humming.
Mike and Cathy married in 1973, and as the years went by, they raised three remarkable daughters in their tidy Newark home. Mike’s love of engines was infectious to those around him, and Carolyn, his eldest, holds dear memories as an 8-year-old helping her dad bleed their car’s brakes and change the oil. Later, as a grandfather, Mike nurtured an inseparable bond with his grandson Will, passing along his expertise, leading to a career with Porsche. Mike’s steadiness invited easy friendship, and he was widely liked and respected by all who met him.
In addition to life as beloved brother, father, and grandfather, Mike was an in-law to his wife’s five younger siblings, winning grateful acceptance as a protective big brother and a pillar of the family. Mike was always the one who would show up when someone was stranded, and it was far from uncommon to find him parked in his in-laws’ driveway in north Wilmington, making repairs to Cathy’s family’s home and fixing a neighbor’s car. He was known to drive two hours in the night to rescue a family member and resurrect a dead engine. He was the always-welcome cavalry, pulling in with a toolbox and quiet words of advice. Soon the car would be accelerating down the street again with a relieved teenager at the wheel.
Summers were a favorite season, full of warm days boating or on the beach in Avalon. And summers became longer still for the family when Mike retired from Amtrak in 2013, and he and Cathy bought a cozy summer place at Holly Lake near the Jersey Shore for the growing family to enjoy. This meant more time with friends at the pool or grilling on the deck. He loved the simple life of summer.
Seasons turned, years went by, and Mike woke up next to Cathy every morning for 53 years. During family vacations, Mike was always the one to maintain and drive the boat, while others skied. Mike provided the fishing gear, while others got the fish. Sometimes he and Cathy would take the boat out at 6am so Cathy could ski, Mike could fish, or the two could share some peaceful companionship as waves lapped the wakening shore. All of us who recall ever being Mike’s passenger–whether on a boat or in life–will miss him very sorely indeed.
A memorial service will be scheduled at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests those wishing to honor Mike’s memory consider contributing to the Centreville Layton School online at https://centrevillelayton.org/giving/give-nowor donating to a charity of their choice. Messages of condolence may be sent to the family online at www.mccreryandharra.com.
