Howard Van Ness Morter

Mr. Howard Van Ness Morter, M.D, 91, of Blairsville, Ga., son of Dr. Clyde W. Morter and Edith Watts Morter, both deceased, as well as his sister, Elizabeth M. Hayes and nephew, Stephen Clyde Hayes.

He was born, grew up, went to school and practiced his specialty of Otolaryngology in Milwaukee, Wis.., until he retired in 1975 and moved to North Palm Beach, Fla., then moved to Blairsville in 1978. He is well known locally as a volunteer AARP Instructor for the Defensive Driving Course, and gave the course for years in the United Community Bank Activity Room and Branan Lodge.

He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin and the Medical College of Wisconsin (formerly Marquette University Medical School), where he is an Assistant Professor Emeritus.

He was on the staffs of Columbia Hospital, Milwaukee County Hospital and Dispensary, and Milwaukee Children's Hospital. He was a former President of the Milwaukee Oto- Ophalmic Society, Otolaryngology Section Chief at Columbia Hospital, and Otolaryngology Section Chief of the State Medical Society of Wisconsin. He had a Real Estate License and Broker License when he lived in Florida.

He served on the School Board of East Mequon School District, was a Board Director of YMCA Minicana, was a Boy Scout Committee Chairman,was a Board Director of Gemini Condominium Association of North Palm Beach, was a Commodore of the Star Lake Wisconsin Yacht Club and was President of the Lake Nottely Homeowners Association of Blairsville. He is a member of PHI Gamma Delta Fraternity and PHI Chi Medical Fraternity, The American Legion, and Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was a member of

the Milwaukee Kiwanis and the

Milwaukee Yacht Club and

its Ensign Fleet.

He was Captain in the Army Medical Corps in WWII where he was the Commanding Officer of a Medical Hospital Ship Platoon (SEP) which cared for the wounded returning to the U.S. on transports, and spent time in hospitals in Esprito Santo New Hebrides and New Guinea between four trips across the Pacific Ocean. Then the Platoon was transferred to the East Coast and we crossed the Atlantic eight time between England and the U.S. He was awarded a Bronze Star for service in the Atlantic-Pacific Theater.

He is survived by his wife, Ruth Souther Towry-Morter; sons, Howard Guy and Susan Cedarburg, Wis., Clyde W. and Julie, Woodstock, Ill., David and Marita of Steamboat Springs, Colo.; grandchildren, Molly Currie, Andrew, Reece and Lucas Morter; step sons, Charles Adams of Juno, Fla., and John Towry of Columbia, S.C.; step daughters, Paula Towry and Linda Najarian, both of the Atlanta area; step grandchildren, Aida Kenyon of East Point, Ga., Oshine Najarian of Douglasville, Ga., Caitlin Adams of Juno; great grandchildren, Madeleine Kenyon, Susanna Currey, Charles Currey and Tucker Morter.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday November 10, 2007 in Blairsville. Time and place will be announced.

Mountain View Funeral Home of Blairsville in charge of the arrangements. You may sign the family guest book and send condolences on line at www.mountainviewfuneralhome. com.