Richard ‘Dale’ Morris

Richard “Dale” Morris, 77, of Tulia, Texas, passed away on Sunday, March 17, 2024. Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 20, 2024, in the Kornerstone Funeral Directors Chapel with Mr. Bob Colson officiating. A graveside service was held 2 p.m. Thursday, March 21, 2024, at North Fairview Cemetery in Wellington, Texas.

A visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, 2024, at the funeral home.

Richard “Dale” Morris was born on June 8, 1946, in Wellington to J.D. and Marie Knight Morris. He grew up in the small town of Quail, Texas, where there was not much to do, but Dale and his younger brother, Don, liked to take their nephew, Dannie, hunting, fishing and sometimes sneaking into places they were not supposed to be fishing.

The brothers loved to play with Dannie’s toys before he did, especially his race car tracks. Hunting quail was a favorite pastime, and even though his grandkids never experienced hunting with him, they sure looked forward to his fried quail at Christmas.

The story goes, one day, Dale was hoeing cotton while his dad was plowing. Dale said, “I want to go to college.” He knew his family could never afford college, so this is where the athletic adventure began. Dale and his younger brother, Don, had an old basketball rim and made a wooden backboard in a dirt lot. He spent all of his school years at the gym or at the baseball field, trying to perfect his skills. Dale only grew to be 5’9” but could stand flatfooted under the goal and dunk the ball. Anyone that ever saw him play said they had never seen anyone jump like him. One story in the newspaper said Dale Morris tied his own record of scoring 46 points in a game.

Dale also excelled in the game of baseball. After graduating from Quail 

High School in 1965, he had multiple scholarship offers to consider, including an offer to play baseball at Southern Methodist University and offers to play basketball at both Texas Tech University and West Texas State University (WTSU). He chose WTSU because it was for the full four years. His family was so proud of him for being the first in the family to head to college, and he grew to become “Dale from Quail” while there. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree and later went on to get his master’s in education.

Dale’s first coaching job was at Horace Mann Junior High in Amarillo, Texas. He soon became the head boys’ basketball coach of the Samnorwood Eagles. He loved his boys, but when the Wellington head girls’ basketball job came open, he took it. After four seasons, he took the head girls’ basketball job in Stratford, Texas. Tulia came next, where he led the Lady Hornets to the State Championship in 1991. He later went on to coach the Canadian Lady Wildcats and finished his career back in Wellington, where he retired in 2007.

As much as he loved the state championship, he still had stories of district, bi district, area or regional games that were just as important because of the group, the rivalry or the school history in the making. One lesson Coach Morris always instilled in his players was to be young gentlemen and young ladies, and he always tried to treat them as such.

While in Stratford, Dale met Kay Lewis, and they were married on July 6, 1985. She was his best friend and the love of his life. Dale taught Kay how to play golf, and this became a passion they shared together, especially when he retired. Their most prized golf memories included playing in Pendaries, N.M. and Myrtle Beach, Calif. and attending two U.S. Opens at Pebble Beach and Southern Hills. They also treasured the many wonderful friendships fostered through their love of golf.

Dale moved back to Tulia in 2012, because he did not want to miss a moment of watching his grandkids perform at all of their events.

Dale was preceded in death by his parents, J.D. and Marie Knight Morris; one infant daughter, Kayla Dawn Morris; one brother, Jerol D Morris; and one sister-in-law, Martha Morris.

Survivors include his wife, Kay, of Tulia; two daughters, Kimberly Hoelting and husband Cory, of Tulia, and Karla Cator, of Lubbock, Texas; four grandchildren, Madison Hoelting, of Keller, Texas, Jaxton Hoelting, of Lubbock, Tripp Cator, of College Station, Texas, and Ashton Cator, of Lubbock; one brother, Don Morris and wife Charlie, of Stephenville, Texas; one sister, Sonia White, of Wellington; one nephew, Dannie Morris and wife Terri; four nieces, Jeanne Taylor and husband Carl, of Wellington, Sandy Self, of Canadian, Texas, Kaci Morris, of Stephenville, Misty Coffee, of Canyon, Texas; two great nephews, Riley and Carson Coffee, of Canyon.

The family suggests, in lieu of flowers, memorials be made to the Dale Morris Athletic Scholarship in care of Happy State Bank in Tulia. This scholarship will go to a deserving female athlete from Wellington, Stratford, Tulia or Canadian.

Online condolences can be made at kornerstonefunerals. com.