Morley, Anthony “Tony”

Born January 17, 1930 in Geneva, Switzerland. Graduated from Haverford College in 1951; studied as a Fulbright Scholar in Vienna,Austria. in 1952 married Jane Augustine.

Tony studied at Episcopal Theological Seminary, served on the faculty of New York General Theological Seminary, was rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in St. Louis, MO, and eventually returned to New York to direct experimental programs for the national Episcopal Church. In 1972, Tony moved to Minneapolis. Jane and Tony divorced.

Tony’s move to Minnesota was promted by his participation in the National Program for Educational Leadership and his subsequent recruitment to serve (1972-1974) as principal of the Minneapolis Public School’s K-12 Free School, part of the Federal Experimental School’s Project: Southeast Alternatives (SEA).

Tony met Ruth Anne Olson, also an SEA staffer. They merged their seven offspring (four his, three her’s) into a single family, and made the arrangement official when they married in 1978. To this day, their blended family vibrates with shared love, laughter, sorrow and messiness.

From 1976 to1989 Tony was editorial writer for the Minneapolis Tribune (which merged in1982 to become The Minneapolis Star Tribune). In addition to a focus on foreign policy, education, and health care, Tony was known for his whimsical “bus stop editorials” that brought humor and wisdom to sometimes-challenging topics.

From 1989 to 1991, Tony worked for The Minneapolis Urban Coalition, where he cultivated writers of color to submit their work for publication. In 1991 he cofounded Colors Magazine: Minnesota’s Journal of Opinion by Minnesota Writers of Color. After retiring in 1995, Tony remained an avid voice for social justice in a broad array of formal and informal alliances.

Visiting their campsite-then-cabin in Hovland MN, for 37 years Tony and Ruth Anne took pleasure in the north woods: the joy of felling trees with hand saws, hauling water from Lake Superior, and engaging family and friends in the pleasures of a life lived simply amid the wonders of woods, water, and billionyear-old rocks.

Those who knew Tony, remember him as a man of remarkable intellect and wit, who never hesitated to challenge arguments that he believed needed to be examined. Tony never outgrew his eagerness to learn, was ever loyal to his values, and enjoyed folding others into his circle of friends.

Age 95, Tony died on September 1, 2025. He was preceded in death by parents Felix and Isabel Morley; sisters Lorna Morley and Christina Borden; brother Woodbridge Morley; and son Thomas Morley. Tony is survived by his wife Ruth Anne Olson; daughters Marguerite (Meg) Morley (Jeannot Grezes) and Janette Law (Hans); sons Jefferson Morley, Patrick Morley (Kerry Durkin), Kent Aldrich (Emily), and Lloyd Aldrich (Julie); 13 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Funeral service will be held Saturday, September 13, at 11:00 a.m. at Grace Episcopal Church, 4557 Colfax Avenue South, Minneapolis 55419.

In lieu of flowers, Tony’s family suggests memorial donations in his name to Grace Episcopal Church at the address above, or to St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 1832 James Avenue North, Minneapolis 55411.