Patricia “Pat” Morrow, a genealogist and town historian for nearly four decades, died June 3 after a lengthy illness, according to Brookside Memorial Albini Funeral Home. She was 70.
A lifelong resident of the hamlet of Maplecrest, Morrow was appointed town historian in March 1987, becoming one of the town’s leading advocates for preserving local and family history.
She was a founding member of the Windham Historical Society and the sole owner, editor and publisher of “Greene Genes,” a quarterly genealogical publication focused on Greene County, during its 10-year run.
Thomas Hoyt, the Windham supervisor, who grew up in Maplecrest, said Morrow’s contributions to local genealogy extended beyond the town.
“I think her work in genealogy and history is statewide, if not renowned throughout the country,” Hoyt said. “Her expertise in it, her diligence to get history right, crosses the boundaries more than the town of Windham.”
Hoyt said he remembered riding his bicycle to a country store run by Morrow’s parents.
“She’d be in there working with her family running this little store,” Hoyt said. “All of a sudden, you’re an adult and she’s a history buff, and ‘Oh, that’s our town historian.’”
Morrow’s ties to Maplecrest were deep. Her grandfather, Valentine Morrow, was a postmaster, and the town pavilion at CD Lane Park is dedicated in his memory, Hoyt said.
Jay Fink, president of the Windham radio station WRIP and a longtime friend of Morrow, said he got to know her when she stepped in at the station following the death of WRIP co-founder Guy Patrick Garraghan in 2010.
“She jumped in and really became my right hand, doing all kinds of back office work for me,” Fink said. “She worked from home, and I could always count on her for everything to be absolutely perfect. She did a lot of accounting work for us and things like that. She was wonderful.”
Fink said Morrow’s lasting legacy included her work to chronicle local genealogy, much of it through the Windham Historical Society Facebook page.
“The legacy that she built was the town of Windham Historical Society Facebook page that contains thousands of pictures,” Fink said. “You get a sense of who she is just by looking at it because she’s so organized. It defies description, almost, how she put that together.”
Fink said the collection would endure.
“That’s something that will obviously live on into perpetuity,” he said.
Fink said Morrow was the “most thorough” of any historian he knew, saying she prepared an annual report for the town that summarized local events, businesses, births and deaths.
“It was always a pleasure,” Fink said. “It was just amazing knowing her.”
Connor Greco is a staff reporter for The Overlook covering Windham, Hunter and surrounding Greene County communities. Send correspondence to connor@theoverlooknews.com.
