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Christopher “Chris” Michael Morris passed away Thursday, April 1, 2021 surrounded by family, after experiencing a hemorrhagic stroke. Chris was born on August 15, 1975 in Myrtle Beach, SC where he enjoyed a wonderful childhood with his brothers and lifelong friends.
At the young age of 3, Chris began visiting Eleuthera, The Bahamas, where he learned to fish, scuba dive and snorkel with his father; growing a deep-rooted love for the island and its people.
Chris attended Virginia Episcopal School in Lynchburg, VA. He graduated from College of Charleston with a degree in Business and had fond memories of his time spent with Semester at Sea. He began his career at Merrill Lynch where he was a financial advisor for 10 years. Chris and Grayson moved to Eleuthera, The Bahamas in 2009, where they spent their most treasured years raising their son Christopher. The family moved back to Murrells Inlet, SC where Chris used his talents in carpentry and woodworking to start Rock Sound Renovations, a construction and home renovations company, before returning to his true home of Eleuthera to join the team at Cape Eleuthera Resort & Marina.
His role as general manager of Cape Eleuthera Resort & Marina was his dream job and brought Chris an immense amount of pride. Chris found great joy and purpose in sharing his love of the island with every visitor lucky enough to meet him. Under Chris’s watch, the business thrived. He was instrumental in putting the Cape “back on the map,” which was his mantra and passion. He was responsible for the recent opening of Friendly’s bar, honoring Friendly Bob, a local legend and longtime friend of Chris’s family. The resort experienced major growth during Chris’s tenure as general manager and the marina saw its best years of operation to date thanks to his passion for the business and the people. Although he was extremely well-versed in all of the elements required to run a successful resort - marketing, finance, and human resources - ultimately, it was his ability to connect with people that made Chris so effective and special. People were instantly won over by his optimism, excitement, and love for the very special place he called home.
Chris and Grayson loved to host visitors, whether it was large groups or a couple looking for a quick weekend getaway; their guests became friends. The entire Cape Team, along with all the locals who Chris inspired with his supercharged enthusiasm, will never forget the impact he had on Cape Eleuthera.
Chris was a director of the Bahamas Out Island Promotion Board and was secretary and board member of the Association of Bahamas Marina.
Chris was happiest on the water, whether it was sailing on the Golden Lady with Grayson by his side, teaching Christopher how to fish, diving for lobster with Les and Wendy, island hopping on the Schooner Cays, organizing beach BBQs on Brittney Island, or just sitting on the marina dock with a big smile for anyone who passed by.
Chris lived and loved wholeheartedly; never taking a beautiful sunset for granted, and never passing up an opportunity to make everyone feel special. From the time of his birth, his mother taught him how to genuinely love others. “Mama Pat” cloaked Chris, his family and all of his friends in Christ’s love.
He understood, embodied, and shared the joy of living each day to its fullest and wanted everyone he knew to do the same.
Chris fondly referred to Eleuthera as heaven on Earth; a place forever graced by his spirit. Yet now, Chris is in Heaven with his son, Christopher where our Heavenly Father has “wiped every tear from their eyes and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.” (Rev. 21:4)
Survivors include his loving and devoted wife of 16 years, Grayson Jones Morris; his mother, Pat Morris of Myrtle Beach, SC; stepmother, Wendy Morris of Jupiter, FL; two brothers, Leslie Morgan Morris III of Beaufort, SC and Brian Morris (Lori) of Bowling Green, KY; nephews, King and Sam Morris; mother-in-law, Barbara Benton (Marion) of Murrells Inlet, SC; father-in-law, Ronald Jones (Susan) of Columbia, SC; sisters-in-law, Laura McMillen of Myrtle Beach, SC, Natali Timmons (Chad) of Mt. Pleasant, SC, Ryann Elkins (Lee) of Murrells Inlet, SC, Allie Finotti (Nick) of Simpsonville, SC, Jessica Cox of Myrtle Beach, SC, and Shannon Miller (Justin) of Murrells Inlet, SC; brother-in-law, Fendley Jones of Charleston, SC, as well as many adoring nieces, nephews and cousins.
Chris was preceded in death by his beloved son, Christopher Michael Morris Jr., and his father, Leslie Morgan Morris Jr. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, April 14, 2021 from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at McMillan-Small Funeral Home in Myrtle Beach, SC. A memorial service will be held on Thursday, April 15, 2021 at 3:00 p.m. at Belin Memorial United Methodist Church in Murrells Inlet, SC.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made in Chris’s name to The Island School, Eleuthera, The Bahamas through the Cape Eleuthera Foundation. Donations can be made at http://www.capeeleutherafoundation.org/support-1#give-now or checks made payable to: Cape Eleuthera Foundation, PO Box 842484, Boston, MA 02284-2484
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