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Gilda May Morris, age 93, passed peacefully in her sleep on January 24, 2023. The first daughter of Evelyn N. and Ruth (Burdeshaw) May of Vernon, Florida, Gilda was born July 28, 1929, in Moody’s Hospital, Dothan, Alabama. She grew up in Vernon, where, at age 5, she entered elementary school, and, at age 16, graduated from Vernon High School in 1946. She was well-loved by her classmates and teachers and, from the earliest years, was highly acclaimed for her singing voice and acting ability, frequently performing in school plays and at local events. Immediately after graduation, Gilda took her first job as a telephone operator with Southern Bell in Chipley, Florida. Over the years, she was married twice, but continued to work for Southern Bell until 1968. She moved to Tallahassee in 1977, where she worked at the Tallahassee Democrat until 1995. Not one to embrace retirement, Gilda then went to work for the Florida History Shop in the R. A. Gray Building and later State Capitol until 2020. In March of that year, the Covid epidemic led to the closing of the Capitol, so at age 91, she finally - though begrudgingly - retired. Gilda thoroughly enjoyed life. She loved her family and friends, her dog Bruno and three cats, Karen, Collars and Altaira, movies from the Golden Age of Hollywood and popular music - especially tunes from the Big Band era through the 1960s. She was a huge football fan, enthusiastically following the Florida State Seminoles and Florida A&M Rattlers, and for many years could name each and every player on the field. For the past two months, Gilda had been cared for at Centre Pointe in Tallahassee. She is preceded in death by her father, Evelyn May, her mother, Ruth and stepfather Jesse Cook, all who lived in or near Vernon. She is survived by her son, Bradley Morris of Tarzana, California, her sister, Mary Cathrin May, nephews Stewart Calhoun and John Calhoun, his wife Meredith and their children Alexis and Liam, all of Tallahassee. Other close surviving relatives include Tyrone and Sharon May, of Lynn Haven, Florida, their daughter Kimberly and her husband Mike Ohara and their son, Teiji, of Greenville, Colorado, along with numerous other cousins whom Gilda dearly loved. Gilda was a long-time volunteer and supporter of Big Bend Hospice. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made there in her memory, at the following address or website: Big Bend Hospice Foundation: 1723 Mahan Center Blvd. Tallahassee, FL 32308 or https://bigbendhospice.charityproud.org/Donate The family will be receiving guests for a visitation at Bevis Funeral Home on Saturday, February 4, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. with a celebration of her life to follow at 12:00 p.m. Breanna Green of Bevis Funeral Home (850-385-2193, www.bevisfh.com) is assisting the Morris family with their arrangements.

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Gilda May Morris

July 28, 1929 - January 24, 2023