It is with great regret that we have to report the death of Richard “Dick” Morley at the age of 94. Dick was the man who brought the English Schools cross-country championships to Sussex.
Dick, who was born and lived his life in Ditchling, was the father of 1975 English Schools 800m Champion Simon Morley and father in law of the current Sussex women’s one mile record holder Suzanne and a Sussex County timekeeper in the 1970s.
Primarily however he was the first Headmaster of the Longhill School in Brighton and played a major part in the survival of the Brighton, Hove and Portslade School’s athletic association as Treasurer and Chairman and the organiser of many School’s Cross Country events.
He played a similar role for the Sussex Schools Association and organised the Sussex Schools Cross County championships for more than a decade.
It was in 1974 he took on the major task of bringing the English Schools Cross Country championships to Sussex for the first time. Then it was just the boys as, at the time, the sexes were held on different dates and at a different venue and we had to wait until 2003 and the late Tony Elder that Sussex held the full English Schools championships.
We send our sympathies to his wife Jean and his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The details of his funeral have not yet been announced but it is hoped that it will be held at St. Margaret’s Ditchling.