Theresa M. Morris, affectionately known as Teri, passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by family on January 21, 2025, at the age of 75.
Born on July 31, 1949, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Teri was predeceased by her parents, Jay E. and C. May Smith, her twin sister, Linda, and her husband, Larry Gabriel. She is survived by her loving daughter, Elaina M. Morris, and her husband, John C. Olivares, as well as her cherished grandchildren, Jaxon J. Herber (15) and Makena M. Herber (12) of Bellevue, WA.
Teri dedicated much of her career to ensuring quality education was accessible to those who had to sacrifice their education to put food on the table, including soldiers, working parents, and rural working students. She began her career as an educational operations manager by day and a working mom and student by night. Teri was hired by Harford Community College as an operations coordinator and teacher, delivering high-quality consortium-style education to soldiers at the Army Education Center on Aberdeen Proving Ground. Teri's academic achievements include a B.S. from Westchester State University and an M.A. from Central Michigan University. Her leadership and dedication to education, the proper use of grammar, and reading and writing the English language, left a lasting impact on many lives, particularly her daughter, who, to this day, can't bear the sound of a grammatical error 🙂
A truly collaborative leader, Teri worked at Harford Community College for 33 years; beginning her career with Harford Community College in 1978, then through a contractual arrangement, became a full-time College employee in 1989, and finally took over operations of a new higher education and technology center in 1999. Teri finished her career as the Coordinator of Operations for the county's Higher Education and Applied Technology Center (HEAT); a regional higher learning institution established to make higher learning accessible to students in rural northeastern Maryland. The HEAT Center offered graduate and postgraduate degrees and instruction from Johns Hopkins University, Morgan State University, Notre Dame of Maryland University, Towson University, University of Maryland College Park and University of Maryland University College, respectively. Teri was responsible for managing the facility, strengthening programming, and interfacing with state and local college and university officials, transforming the HEAT Center into a model in which higher education and technology opportunities became accessible to those in rural areas while improving economic development opportunities for the region. Her major accomplishments for the HEAT Center include the expansion of significant academic programs working with regional higher education institutions, establishing an incubator facility, and developing new partnerships with the Northeastern Maryland Technology Council and Army Alliance. She was admired amongst her peers and was often praised for her work ethic, strong character, and extremely high levels of integrity.
Teri will be remembered for her unwavering commitment to education, her leadership, her passion for fair and equal opportunity for all, her ability to see people for the content of their character and not the color of their skin, and extraordinary love for her family. While Teri cherished the relationship she built with her daughter, her most favorite role in life was that of "Nana". She loved unconditionally, laughed uncontrollably, and was made from the tough stuff you don't often find these days. She leaves so many valuable lessons behind like how to live and love with everything you have and to never EVER give up. Teri will be deeply missed by all who knew her but will remain forever in our hearts.
Teri loved animals, so in lieu of flowers please donate to Pasado's Safe Haven to help stop animal cruelty and find these animals a forever home: https://www.pasadosafehaven.org/?form=Donations
My sympathy in your loss. I worked just briefly with Teri years ago at APG, but she was a great help to all there. Her dedication to the job was admirable, and her expertise in the field was extraordinary as well.
My sincere condolences to you and your family. Teri was a pleasure to work with.. always had a quick smile and a friendly word. I never think of the HEAT Center without thinking of Teri. Lisha Sturgill - HCC retiree