Vanessa Lynn Morris

On the morning of Saturday, July 27th Vanessa Lynn Morris went home to her Lord. Vanessa filled her 66 years of life with knowledge, stories, wisdom, and fun. Born to Shirley and Irving Smith in Hampton, Virginia, she spent the entirety of her adult life in the Tidewater area. The center of Vanessa’s life was her faith. She was a devout follower of the Lord and spent her life living according to the principles taught in the Bible. Despite losing her daughter at the age of ten, being on dialysis for a total of seventeen years, and countless other ailments, Vanessa was steadfast in making her life worth living to the fullest. Vanessa was a true extrovert, able to make friends with just about anyone. She loved to travel and see new places. She loved to learn. Whether it was educating herself on behalf of her daughter or going back to school for herself, she was a voracious learner and encouraged everyone around her to expand their banks of knowledge as well.

Vanessa was preceded in death, by her daughter Vanessa Michelle Morris, brother Edward Carl Smith and father Irving Smith as well as brother-in-law Linwood Morris.  She is survived by her husband Clifton Morris, her mother Shirley Smith, and siblings Sharon (Randy) Johnson Sr, Irving Smith, Theodore (Teresa) Smith, Pauletta (Ed) Delgado as well as Phillip and Redell Morris, brothers-in-law. Additionally, Vanessa is survived by a host of uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, cousins, and others whose lives she touched.

After the death of her daughter, Vanessa went back to school to attain her bachelor’s degree in social work from Norfolk State University, followed by her master’s degree in counseling from Regent University. Before her death, she had set her sights on a Doctoral degree, but the Lord called her home before she could get started on that journey.