Elton Knight Morice, Jr.

January 13, 1926 – January 27, 2023

Elton Knight Morice, Jr. (E.K.) of Boca Raton passed away peacefully on January 27, 2023, at the age of 97. E.K. was born in Morgantown, West Virginia and attended Morgantown High School. After graduation, he completed one semester of engineering at West Virginia University before he joined the Navy. E.K. earned a degree in mechanical engineering through the Navy's college training program at Worchester Institute in Massachusetts. Beginning in 1948, he served five-and-one half years of active duty on a destroyer during the Korean War and World War II. E. K. was released to inactive duty as a commander.

In 1948, E.K. also married his former wife, Ruby Ashworth, from Welch, West Virginia (now deceased), and they had one daughter Sandra Lee Morice. After serving in the Navy, E.K. worked for Aeroproducts in Dayton, Ohio. In this position, he designed and developed various aircraft products used by the military and airlines. After vacationing in Florida only once during this time, he and his family left the cold weather of Ohio and moved to sunny Florida. E.K. settled in Boynton Beach, and he and Ruby spent the next twenty-five years owning and running wholesale NAPA stores in southeast Florida.

In 1964, E.K. began his lifelong dream of becoming a pilot, flying non-powered aircraft. He flew in several national glider meets, won the Eastern National 1-26 Division Soaring Championship in New Hampshire, helped organize the Central Florida Soaring Club, and several times served as the safety chairman for the Lakeland Sun-N-Fun Fly-In.

While in Dayton, E.K. built an outboard motorboat and numerous pieces of furniture in his workshop, in his home's basement. However, these "small" projects were not enough to keep him busy. In 1972, E.K. began building his own two place amphibian (modeled after the Anderson Kingfisher) in the garage of his Florida home. He worked at

his business during the daytime and on his airplane in the evenings and on weekends. The aircraft was completed and taken into the air in 1975. E.K.'s Anderson Kingfisher (N2EK) was an experimental aircraft built from raw materials and won trophies for construction quality several times at the Lakeland Fly-In.

Once again, this was still not enough for E.K., and the desire to spend even more time flying was just too tempting. In 1983, E.K. sold his NAPA business and became the director of the flight school at Boca Raton Municipal Airport, in Boca Raton. At the same time, he took the position as a full-time assistant professor at the College of Boca Raton (now Lynn University) and designed and taught courses for the Aviation Management Program. While working this full-time job, E.K. completely remodeled a fixer-upper house in Boca Raton and obtained a master's degree from Lynn University. He also consulted for businesses needing computer management systems in his "spare" time.

Many people do not know this piece of information, but E.K. spent 25 years at Lynn University and could be called the founder of its aviation program. He began the program with just a few students and maintained his materials at home and in his car. For 16 years, he worked to build Lynn's aviation program and was able to secure funding to expand and continue its growth. E.K.'s continuous efforts resulted in the creation of the Lynn University School of Aeronautics.

E.K. Morice was an inspiring and talented man. He never stopped challenging himself. Not only was he passionate about the Navy and flying, but he was also equally passionate about his motorcycles. If he wasn't flying, he was serving as a motorcycle coach with the Florida Motorcycle Training Program. E.K. proudly rode his motorcycle, and he would often humorously emphasize that he only rode a Honda Gold Wing and never a Harley Davidson. He rode to every state in the United States except for Alaska. No doubt, if he had lived just a little longer, he might have gotten to Alaska.

E.K. is survived by his daughter, Sandra Morice (Boynton Beach, Florida), his niece and nephew, Debbie Morice and David Morice (Dallas, Texas), Rosemary Morice, wife of his deceased brother Tom.

Morice (Dallas, Texas), Peter Sayre (Highland Beach, Florida), Jane Sayre (Centerville, Ohio), and his long-time, good friend, Tanya Firlit (Boca Raton, Florida).

E.K. will be buried with Military Honors in a private ceremony, at the South Florida National Cemetery, in Lakeworth, Florida.