Obituary of Rev. Edmund J. Morelle

Rev. Edmund J. Morelle Verona-Rev. Edmund J. Morelle, age 89, died on February 24, 2016. He was born in Utica, New York, in 1926, son of Major Guy J. and Margaret F. (Lomber) Morelle. He attended Miller and Kemble Street elementary schools, Utica Free Academy and Fordham College, where in 1945 he earned a B.S. degree in physics. In World War II Father Morelle served in the U.S. Navy and then, after Infantry Basic, in the U.S. Army Securities Agency. After the war he did graduate work in physics at Fordham and Harvard Universities. In 1948 he began study for the Priesthood at St. Andrew's and St. Bernard's Seminaries in Rochester, New York. He was ordained on May 23, 1953 by His Excellency, Walter A. Foery, D.D. Bishop of Syracuse, and assigned to St. John's Church in Utica. As a parish priest he taught religion at Utica Catholic Academy, worked with the Legion of Mary among the Blacks and Hispanics, and ministered to the residents of the County Jail and to patients at Broadacres Sanitarium. In 1957 Father Morelle entered the U.S. Air Force and served as Chaplain at Lackland AFB in Texas, Vance AFB in Oklahoma, and Kadena AFB on Ryukyu Island of Okinawa. He returned to parish work in 1960 at St. Mary's Church in Clinton, guiding the Christian Family Movement and caring for Newman Community at Hamilton College. In1963, after graduate work in education at Utica College and Syracuse University, he became disciplinarian and teacher of physics, geometry, general science and religion at Rome Catholic School, ministering weekends at St. Mary's Church in Rome, then at St. Catherine's in Vernon and St. Agnes' in Vernon Center, and finally at St. Leo's in Holland Patent. He returned to parish work at Immaculate Conception Church in Fulton in 1971, and in 1972 he was appointed pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Verona where he served until his retirement in July 2010. Father Morelle is survived by his sister, Mrs. Robert (Elizabeth) Griggs, his brother-in-law and sister, Mr. and Mrs. Jack (Doris) Godden, and several nephews, nieces and cousins. His funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be offered on Friday March 4, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. in St. Joseph's Church, 121 St. Joseph's Place, Oneida, New York, 13421.Father's body will lie in state in the Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel, from 2 PM to 5 PM on Wednesday and 4 PM to 7 PM on Thursday. The Holy Rosary will be recited at the conclusion of each of these hours. Interment will be in St. Mary's Cemetery in Clinton. In lieu of flowers, donations in Father's memory may be made to Holy Cross Academy. Envelopes will be available at the calling hours. Arrangements are with the Malecki Funeral Home Inc., Vernon, NY.