Community Corner

Lifelong Resident, Philanthropist Morry Hubbard Dies at 101

Hubbard donated part of property to Reeves-Reed Arboretum.

 Lifelong Summit resident and frequent benefactor G. Morrison Hubbard Jr., better known around town as "Morry," has died at the age of 101.

Hubbard, who  passed away on Saturday, is survived by a daughter Morrene Jacobs of Short Hills, N.J.; a son, G.M. Hubbard III of Savannah, Ga.; four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

According to the Oct. 2006 edition of the Historian, the Summit Historical Society newsletter, Hubbard was born in 1909 and lived at the old Elkwood Railroad Station at 73 Passaic Avenue before moving across the street. The Hubbard Family, which originally moved to Summit in 1905 from Hartford, Conn., then moved to Hobart Avenue in 1926.

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He was the oldest camper from one of the oldest camps in the country, Keewadyn, Salisbury, Vt. Before he was 15, Hubbard had built up a writing paper business in eight surrounding towns and had about 200 customers. At 17, he had crossed the country with three other boys in a second hand Buick, returning home by working on a cargo freighter the day before school started. It stopped at three Mexican ports and went through the Panama Canal. He also spent summers sailing with several boys from Long Island to Canada on chartered sail boats.

Morry attended the first Lincoln School, then located on DeForest Ave between Beechwood Road and Maple Street. He attended Summit High School, then located at the Lawton C. Johnson Summit Middle School, before spending his senior year at Lawrenceville School.

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Morry graduated from Dartmouth University, his father's alma mater, in 1932, and went to work at his father's real estate company, Hubbard, Westervelt and Motley, Inc. But when World War II broke out, Morry enlisted in the army on March 17, 1942. He was 32. On that St. Patrick's Day, he also married his girlfriend, Elizabeth, better known as "Libby," two hours before he reported for duty.

Morry rose to the rank of Major and was honorably discharged in Sept. 1945. He returned home to work at his father's firm, which was later bought by Merrill Lynch and became a subsidiary by the name of Merrill Lynch Hubbard Inc. Hubbard later served on the Merrill Lynch Board of Directors.

Former Councilman Frank Macioce knew Hubbard when they both worked at Merrill Lynch. Macioce was legal council to Morry's company, Merrill Lynch Hubbard Inc.

Despite the fact that Macioce was fresh out of law school and Morry was old enough to be his father, he recalls that Hubbard was always respectful.

Macioce recalled an instance when he was giving Morry legal advice.

"He looked at me and said, 'I've been running this company since 1932. You know how many lawsuits I've had?' And he held up his fingers in a zero."

While Macioce said he doesn't remember what he was giving Morry legal advice about, he does remember that Morry took the advice.

"He obviously rose to the heights of business," said Fred Honold, President of Hometowne Television, who met Hubbard five years ago when they featured the Summit legend in a series called 'Town Treasures.' "But the really special thing about him was he retained his common touch. No matter what your walk of life, he treated people with respect."

Morry retired in 1974. His and Libby were married for 63 years before she died at 94 in 2005. Both were longtime members of Central Presbyterian Church.

After Morry retired, Macioce said they reconnected when he decided to run for council. Morry invited the candidate over to his house to talk politics and reminisce about their time at Merill Lynch.

"He was a wonderful guy," Macioce said. "Well regarded and very well liked by everyone at Merrill Lynch."

Honold recalled that when his son, Matt, interviewed Hubbard for an oral history on Summit for his Eagle Scout project, Morry not only gave him the names of other people to interview, but he also went out of his way to help Matt network.

"As we were getting up to leave, Morry called out to his assistant Dee and said to get Ted Olcott (author of "20th Century Summit") on the phone," Honold recalled. "That was so thoughtful. "He was so generous with his time."

Hubbard donated $1 million to the Summit Public Schools, and the district honored him by renaming his old high school the Lincoln-Hubbard School. He also donated .733 acres of his land at 155 Hobart Avenue to the Reeves-Reed Arboretum.

The Hubbard Gymnasium at the YMCA was also named after him in 2000 when the Y completed an addition.

"I think the Y meant a  lot to him," Baxley said, noting that Hubbard played basketball there as a kid. "He had a great attachment to the Y. His generosity to the Y came from the heart."

Morry also offered scholarships to Lincoln-Hubbardstudents and to children of Summit Police officers. He also purchased band uniforms and donated to the Overlook Hospital Foundation.

But one of the most special things about Hubbard, Honold said, was his positive outlook on life.

"He clearly is one of the greats, among the best of the best," Honold said. "And what I mean by that is he in his lifetime, through hard work and integrity and honesty, rose to the height of American business. And with his strong love of his community and his country, he constantly gave of himself and his resources."

Hubbard was a member of the Central Presbyterian Church since 1927, giving him the longest membership in the church. He was an honorary member of the Canoe Brook Country Club, the Beacon Hill Club, and the Union League Club in New York City. He was also a member emeritus of the Baltusrol Golf Club. He played many of the leading golf courses in Europe and the United States, including the Augusta National many times. He was a member of the United States Seniors' Golf Association. He traveled for business and pleasure in most of the 50 states and to 40 foreign countries.

Known for his character, generosity, wisdom, and sense of humor, Hubbard told wonderful stories of his life experiences. When asked about the major challenges facing us today, he always replied, "Keeping civic pride and responsibility in our home, our schools and the community. Civic pride and patriotism are not bad attributes to live by." His greatest concern for our country is the loss of individual incentive. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be made to the Summit Area Public Foundation, Attention: the Sayre Finnegan Fund, P.O. Box 867, Summit, N.J. 07901.

Wake: Dangler Funeral Home, Wednesday August 25, from 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Memorial Service:  Central Presbyterian Church, Thursday August 26 at 11 a.m.

To watch a Hometowne TV special on Morry's 100th birthday, click here.


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