Dr. Gerald Kent Morley Obituary (1939

After a life full of many accomplishments, Dr. Gerald Kent Morley passed away at North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale, MN on January 8th, 2024. He was 84 years old. He was born on May 12th, 1939 in Provo, UT, as the youngest child of Dr. Alonzo John Morley and Eloise Stewart Morley. He married Judith Ann Hartman in the Salt Lake, UT, Temple on August 26th, 1960. They had four children, Brian G. Morley - Ohio, Bruce A. (Jackie Slade) Morley - Minnesota, Laura A. (Bradford) Greenig - Oregon, and Robert A. (Sarah Dombkowski) Morley – Washington. Dr. Morley spent almost 60 years working in the field of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology. He first pursued his career at the University of Utah where he received his medical degree in 1964. He then completed his Neurology/Electromyography residency at the University of Minnesota. He was fascinated by the central nervous system and pain disorders so he spent many years focused on finding new ways to treat them. He was honored as America’s top Neurologist in 2009 and 2012. He also authored and published many works and clinical studies. One of the things he was most proud of was sharing his knowledge with others by working as a clinical professor for the University of Minnesota from 1970 to 1990. In 2018, he was honored by the American Health Council as “One of America’s Best in Medicine”. Even though he received many accolades, the most important thing to him in his career was his patients. He was beloved by them for his kind and gentle demeanor and treated some of them for decades. He also devoted many free hours to friends and acquaintances in the community who sought his medical advice. He never hesitated to help those in need. More than anything, Gerald, or Jerry as many knew him, was a dedicated husband and father. Even at the very end of his life, he was only concerned for the welfare and happiness of his wife, Judy, and their children. No matter what, family always came first. He had a lively spirit and loved to laugh and enjoy time with his family. He loved to pull little pranks and when he’d “get” someone, his boyish laugh and smile was infectious. Jerry never stopped thinking of how he could improve life in every facet. When he wasn’t working or spending time with his family, he was always thinking of new things to create. He was fascinated with technology and always wanted to build and try out the newest gadgets. He even built his own personal computer in the 1970s. If he wasn’t so dedicated to his medical career, he may have been the next Steve Jobs. In the 1980s, he acquired the first VCR and Atari game system in the neighborhood which made his home very popular with the neighborhood kids. He started using video cameras in the 1960s and never stopped. He loved to document events, holidays, and trips, even if it was to the chagrin of his children. However, because of his dedication, there are many precious family moments on film. He loved tools and was constantly building his own creations whether it was a computer, a home alarm system, or building a waterfall in his backyard. Some were successful, some were questionable, but he always kept trying. Family road trips to Utah occurred every summer and he enjoyed driving the “big green” van while using his CB call sign “Green Hornet”. He also loved listening to his favorite 8-track cartridges back in the day. The most notable being John Denver and Isao Tomita. Meals out with his family were always an adventure. He always had to pick the table he wanted and you never knew if you were going to get the first bite of your food or if a part of his meal would end up on your plate because he wanted to make sure everyone ate enough and that no food was wasted. Later in life, he and Judy loved to travel to their condo in Oceanside, California. They loved to explore San Diego, sit by the ocean, and enjoy each other’s company. He is preceded in death by all of his siblings, Stewart Morley, Marilyn Washburn, Diane Hellstrom, and Janet Taylor. He is survived by his wife, four children, six grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, January 15th with a Visitation one hour prior at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints, 4700 Edinbrook Terrace, Brooklyn Park, MN 55443. Interment will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, January 20 at the Provo City Cemetery, 610 South State Street, Provo, Utah by Berg Mortuary of Provo, www.bergmortuary.com