Passed peacefully to his heavenly home, enveloped in the love of his family.
Richard Michael Morra lived with a fullness of love and a particularly strong bond with family: with his parents Grace and Rocco; his brother Robert; his cousins, aunts, and uncles; his sister-in-law Diane Francoeur and nieces Michelle and Joanne; his adopted Egan family – and his wife of 55 years, Sheila [Egan] and their children Irene, Roy (Ping), and Lenore.
Born in North Toronto, Richard graduated from St. Michael’s College School and was the first in his family to attend university; he was a proud alumnus of St. Michael’s College, University of Toronto, where he studied and later taught Modern Languages. He was a treasured colleague and teacher (French and English) at Holy Name of Mary Secondary School in Mississauga for over 25 years, where his many contributions stretched within and beyond the classroom. Possessor of a legendarily keen critical eye, he also knew that everyone is born with unique and different gifts: he inspired generations of students to work towards achieving their full and individual potential.
Richard’s love of the beautiful was apparent in everything he did, from his musicianship and photography to his love of languages and literature, to his impeccable sense of dress. He grew up with a profound dislike of waste and excess – and an ingenious ability to fix, repair, and invent.
Richard inhabited many roles and modelled their complementarity with humility, generosity, and a constant appetite for learning more: drafter, designer, and builder; scholar and teacher; carpenter and electrician; master grammarian, linguist, and historian; tireless problem-solver, creator, and innovator. He was equally at home listening to Deutsche Grammophon records and watching The Blues Brothers; fine-tuning photos in a darkroom; navigating back roads on a motorcycle; perfecting techniques on the guitar or mandolin; sharing a literary description in German, French, Italian, or English; planning travel itineraries to the closest detail; enjoying fellowship and fun with family and friends; creating intricate inventions; and designing, building, and finishing fine furniture.
Most striking of all, he was a good man, a “gentleman” without guile who modelled civility, kindness, and compassion by treating others with respect, openness, and generosity informed by a quiet and anchoring faith.
To the very end of his time with us, Richard touched everyone with his intelligence, keen appreciation of detail, mischievous sense of humour – and with the overwhelming strength of his embrace. The prophet Micah assures us that God asks of us “just this, and only this: to act justly, to love tenderly, and to walk humbly with our God.” Richard has followed this path all his life. May he rejoice in the fullness of eternal love.
Memorial Mass
Tuesday September 1, 2026 at 11:00 a.m.
Merciful Redeemer Parish
2775 Erin Centre Blvd, Mississauga, ON L5M 5N6
There will be a private interment on a later date.
