Member Profile:
Winter Morris

Occupation:

Quality Manager

Winter’s independence, capriciousness, and sense of humor are partly due to experiences as a foster child. Her father was in contact frequently enough, and of sufficient duration to be of influence as he toiled as an actor in New York. The fickle music and theater business did not offer him enough to provide for his two children without help. His knack as a fine arts communicator gave Winter a good start in the art of communicating. She learned early to use it to her advantage.

She recalls the time when she and her brother prepared for a parental visit at the foster home. The two of them were squeaky-clean and dressed in their finest; then, it was time for a keepsake photo-shoot. The photographer pressed the button and Winter stuck out her tongue. If timing really is everything, then Winter was already primed as an entertainer.

It wasn’t until her activist father became deeply involved in politics that she and her brother returned to live with their father. His causes were in opposition to his actions. It became clear to him that he needed to find ways to make parenting a full-time commitment.

By the time the 1960’s arrived, Winter already had a good idea of what she wanted to do in life – at the moment anyway. Inspired by Steppenwolf and the likes, she followed the lure of stage lights and music. Her gregarious nature worked to her advantage. People tended to gravitate toward her. Eventually, she found herself in the music recording industry at a great time and place for talent discovery. Several artists she worked with are still on the “charts.” That wasn’t enough for Winter.

She and her friends decided to leave what many consider the center of the universe: New York, to see the world. Nature beckoned, and they packed what they thought they needed and hit the road.

The southwest suited her just fine. Even today, she would be happy to live in an isolated mud hut and paint pottery. They dipped into Mexico for a quick trip, then up the coast of California. Big Sur took her breath away. She has always been fond of the sea, but the spectacular view of Big Sur was more than she anticipated. On the way back to the east coast, they all pulled off the road in Arkansas. By then, they were good at finding places to camp. The perfect place in Arkansas turned out to be in a field not far from the Interstate highway. There, a gigantic “kindergarten tree” with wispy draping fronds offered them shelter for the night.

The moon was visible through the leafy canopy, and Winter watched it for a long time. She learned something at that moment. Words are not enough to express what she learned, but it was a memorable spiritual experience to her. That was then; and, now she is still the center of attention. Her family is enormous by extension, and she always seems to know what to do for and with them. Without hesitation, she scoops up a child in need and the two of them might go see an art fair. She can still convince someone that she is fit for a part in a play, and her son is a comedian.

And, by the way, she manages to fit work into her life. Her function is in job structuring for a growing company, and she has many years’ experience as a reliability engineer.