Anthony William "Tony" Morris' Obituary
“Life is like a camera…Focus on what’s important, Capture the good times, Develop from the negatives, And if things don’t work out, Take another shot. “ – anonymous
Anyone who knew Anthony “Tony” W. Morris knew he was never more than an inch any from his camera. He took pictures of local, state, and world leaders. He took photos of historic events as well community celebrations. He took pictures of classic and fast cars. He took pictures of anything and everything and everyone. Through his lens Anthony “Tony” W. Morris captured the moments that matter; the moments that cause us all to pause; the moments that made us think, laugh and cry. Now we all mourn the lost of not just a great man, a great photographer, a great historian but a fabulous human being.
No matter what was going on you could guarantee that Tony would have a smile on his face and spring in his step. No one was a stranger and everyone looked fabulous in his world. He seized every moment because he didn’t play by the rules. Tony was a true character that lived life to the fullest. And he encouraged everyone he met to do the same.
I first met Tony some years ago when I was started to get my feet wet in the journalism world at Houston Style Magazine. My first thoughts when I saw Tony were I bet this guy is really wild. He had on a black shirt with flames, blue jean shorts, huge silver rings and bracelets and incredible long fingernails. His first words to me, “Hi my darling, you look fabulous.” It made me smile, of course. And that began our beautiful relationship.
I would cringe every time Tony would bring 500 plus photos from an event after I asked him repeatedly not to turn in so many photos. I would painstakingly go through the hundreds of photos searching for the best 15. Just as much as I hated looking through all the photos I sort of liked it. Tony was like no other photographer at the magazine. His film would be filled with the key people and highlights of the event but it was also filled with things that others would ordinarily overlook. Tony would capture other people working – the wait staff, other photographers, the valet attendants, the janitors, and so on. No one person was unimportant. He made everyone feel special. He had pictures of paintings or the buildings architecture. He saw beauty in everything.
Tony was a true light wherever he went and that is something I will miss most about him. He once said that he simply wanted to make a difference in the lives of others. Congrats Tony you did. You opened everyone’s eyes to what was beautiful. Thank you for that incredible gift. May you forever rest in peace Tony.
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