Owen John Sandy Morrissey, D.D.S.

Sandy Morrissey passed from his earthly life on Monday, July 29, 2013, just before midnight at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital after suffering a stroke in October of 2012. Born in Appleton, Wis., on February 26, 1920, he grew up in Shorewood, Wis., where he attended Catholic schools and graduated from Shorewood High School in 1938.

While at Shorewood High, he was an all-around superb athlete. He was captain of the varsity football team where he earned the nickname Snakehips, and lettered in basketball and track. He excelled in the pole vault and in ski jumping. In 1941, he was attending Tulane University on a football scholarship when Pearl Harbor and World War II interrupted his studies and, actually, changed his life.

He spent four years in the Burma-China-India campaign in the U.S. Army Air Corps serving as a medic whose job was to parachute into the Himalayan Mountains (Burma Jungle) to rescue downed flyers along with a physician. Based in India, it was during that time that he met his first love, Jeanne Ann Porche from Jeanerette, La. She was a flight nurse whom he married soon after the war ended.

Sandy returned to Tulane and at the same time, took classes at Loyola University in his haste to graduate and move on to his chosen career. He enrolled in the Marquette University School of Dentistry. After graduating there, he and his family moved to Seattle, Wash., so that he could become a Pediatric Dentist in what was a very new specialty at the time. Soon after, he was sent to the Korean Conflict where he practiced his dentistry on servicemen in a MASH unit.

Upon his discharge, Sandy moved to Louisiana and for a short time, he practiced in New Orleans. Each weekend, he traveled to other cities in the state, seeking a location for his permanent practice. He found Lake Charles and joyfully moved there in 1956 at the age of 36 with Jeanne and his three children: Cindy, Tom and Kathy.

Sandy was the only children's dentist in Lake Charles and the state. He spent his career taking care of the dental needs of the Children of Lake Charles. During the down time of the economy, Sandy and three other dentists set up a dental clinic at the Health Unit to serve those children whose parents had no insurance and did not qualify for government assistance. The clinic eventually moved to the Police Jury facility and became known as the North Lake Charles Preventative Dental Clinic. For just $1 each, hundreds of children got dental care through the clinic, which received full cooperation and volunteer time of every dentist in town and the surrounding area. This was indeed a fitting legacy for a man who never turned a child away no matter the parent's ability to pay. He believed that each child he served for free was a golden brick helping to pave his way to Heaven. He certainly made his path easy to follow to the Golden Gates.

Soon after his arrival in Lake Charles, Dr. Mitch Bono, DDS, invited Sandy to become a member with a group of four other golfers at the Lake Charles Country Club. The group gained such notoriety it became known as The Mafia. At the time of his death, Sandy was the oldest remaining original Mafia man. He and Mitch played in and won numerous Mafia tournaments.

During his golfing career, Sandy had 10 holes-in-one and was still competing at age 90 when he last helped his son Tom and grandson John Morrissey win the St. Martin de Porres fundraiser to help build the beautiful church in which Sandy will have his funeral celebration of life. He was indeed a legend among his golfing buddies.

Jeanne and Sandy enjoyed a marriage of 36 years sharing special times with their three children. Jeanne passed away in 1981 and thereafter, Sandy met and married his second love. Dolores and Sandy enjoyed a marriage of 30 years traveling the world together, skiing, attending concerts and musical events and enjoying each others company.

Sandy is survived by his devoted wife, Dolores Dee Kern Bardin Morrissey; his three children: Cynthia Morrissey, Thomas Morrissey and wife Judy Courville Morrissey, and Kathleen Morrissey Delaney; and his brother, James George Morrissey and his wife Janet. He left seven grandchildren: Shane Delaney, Kelly McGee Chaconas and husband John, Debra Delaney Browne and husband Wallace, Casey McGee, John Morrissey, Jill Morrissey and Stacy McGee Wheat and husband James. Sandy enjoyed nine great-grandchildren: Cortney and Kayla Delaney, Jeanne Nash, Colin and Jake Chaconas, twins Rick and Riley Chaqconas, Abbygayle and Parker McGee and was just getting to know his great-great-grandchild, Leeanna'Kay Elizabeth Delaney. He will also be missed by his stepsons, Kade Bardin and wife Sunshine and Brantley Bardin; three step-grandchildren, Erin, Devon and Hunter Bardin and many nieces and nephews.

Sandy was preceded in death by his first wife, Jeanne; his parents Thomas and Eleanor Morrissey; brothers Timothy and Donald Morrissey; and his beloved dog, Coco Chanel.

We so appreciated doctors, Peter Karam, Edward Hebert, Ben Thompson and Chris Thompson; our wonderful caregivers who loved Sandy for many months Christy Fowlkes, Diane Cone, Pat Burton, Kim Landry, Theresa Langley, Eugenie Tullos, and Tim Johnson. Our wonderful nurses from Southern Home Health were Glen Martin and Kevin Guillory and physical therapist, Brenda Hazel. Before caregivers there was, for 24 years, our Wednesday saviour, the irreplaceable Doris Welcome. All of them were really God's angels.

Funeral services will be at 12 p.m. Saturday, August 03, 2013, at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church under the direction of Johnson Funeral Home. Father Keith Pellerin will officiate. Interment will follow in Consolata Cemetery. Visitation at Johnson Funeral Home Friday will be from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m. with a scripture service beginning at 6 p.m. Visitation Saturday will be from 10 a.m. until 11:45 a.m. in the funeral home.