Shelley E. Morss, a Concord resident for more than 65 years, passed away at the age of 90, in the comfort of her own home with family on April 25, 2024.

Shelley was born to Dr. Chadwick Christine and Florence Anglund Christine of Maysville, KY. She was a true "southern belle" who attended William & Mary to study literature. Her loving brother, Chad, introduced Shelley to fellow Yale student Charles A. Morss; Charlie and Shelley were married when Shelley was 19. When Charlie graduated and went on to Wharton, Shelley transferred to finish her degree at University of Pennsylvania to be with her new husband.

Shelley and Charlie raised their four children in Concord, sharing their enthusiasm for conservation, education, and laughter.

Shelley proudly lived her life on her own terms, and her passion for gardening, music, conservation, art, and health was reflected throughout her years in Concord. She volunteered as a Candy Striper at Emerson Hospital; she was an advocate for healthy Concord drinking water; she fought to protect Concord's landmarks with the Save Our Heritage organization (and supported many other civic causes, often speaking at Town Meetings); she sang with the Concord Women's chorus; and she performed with the Savoyard Light Opera and the Concord Players. Shelley was an active member of the Concord Garden Club for 45 years, and her love for gardening was reflected throughout her home, personally designed and gracefully landscaped in the Minute Man National Historic Park.

In the late 1980s, Shelley fought to preserve Walden Pond from threatening development and pollution. Emboldened by the philosophy of Henry David Thoreau, Shelley was determined to conserve the land of Thoreau's inspiration. Initially unable to gain traction, Shelley continued to gently raise her Southern voice until a fellow Southerner personally arrived to walk the woods with her. Don Henley stepped out of his unassuming car to greet Shelley, and soon thereafter in 1990, Henley founded The Walden Woods Project; thus, Shelley's grassroots movement to preserve Walden Pond rose to gain the national attention it deserved.

Shelley was a talented painter who worked with oils and watercolors. She painted oil portraits of her children as well as magical, sunlit landscapes (predominantly of Concord). Shelley delighted in bringing forth the light and shades of the sun in her paintings as it reflected against the clouds or glistened off the Concord River. Her works were displayed throughout her elegant home—which she designed with as many windows as architecturally possible to bring in the sunshine and nature's beauty. Shelley's tangible successes in bringing light to her artistry and design speaks to Shelley's sparkling essence; she shared her joie de vivre until the day she died through her gentle—yet brilliant—beams of artistry, serendipity, beauty, laughter, and her love for her family and friends.

Shelley is survived by 3 children: Stephen Morss, Lyza Morss, and Dr. Alexander Morss, and 7 grandchildren. She is predeceased by her eldest son, Dr. Charles A. Morss III, her brother Chadwick Christine, and her sister Patricia Christine Perrine.

A private celebration of Shelley's life will be held in the spring.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Walden Woods Project .

Arrangements are entrusted to Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Concord.