The Italian American Community mourns the passing of Anthony C. Morella.
Mr. Morella was born on August 31, 1930, in Malden, Massachusetts, to Anthony C. Morella, Sr. and Laura Costanza Morella. He graduated from Boston Latin School and Boston University. From 1952 to 1954, during the Korean War, he served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force. Upon completion of his service he returned to Boston and married his college classmate, former member of Congress and U.S. Ambassador Constance A. Morella.
The Morellas settled in Washington, DC where Mr. Morella began studying law at Georgetown University. While at law school, he secured a position as Confidential Aide to the U.S. Attorney General. At the invitation of Dean John Sherman Myers, Mr. Morella completed his law studies at American University’s Washington College of Law, where he earned his J.D. degree.
His first professional post was as an attorney-advisor to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, where he participated in the Commission’s investigation of voting rights violations of minority citizens in Louisiana. He subsequently served as Legislative Assistant to Congressman John V. Lindsay (R-NY).
In 1960 he returned to the Washington College of Law where he joined the adjunct faculty. He served that institution for 44 years until his retirement in 2004. While at AU, he held posts as Associate Dean of the Law School and Vice President and General Counsel for the university. He also practiced law in the District of Columbia and Maryland for 25 years and retired as Senior Partner in the firm of Hewes, Morella, Gelband & Lamberton, P.C. in Washington, DC.
Professor Morella was an officer of the National Association of College and University Attorneys, a Trustee of the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia, President of the Court Practice Institute of Chicago and a Trustee of the U.S. Capitol Historical Society. He also served on the Board of Trustees of the Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of Health, as well as the Board of Directors of the Olney Theatre Center. He was a long-time member of the Lido Civic Club of Washington, DC.
In 1973, Mr. Morella was Co-Counsel for Judge John J. Sirica in Richard M. Nixon v. The Honorable John J. Sirica (Watergate Tapes Case). He was made an honorary member of the Minnesota State Bar Association for his work in that case. He was a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, a Distinguished Fellow of the John Sherman Myers Society at the Washington College of Law and a two-time recipient of the Bella Abzug Memorial Good Guy Award presented by the National Women’s Political Caucus.
In addition to his wife of 66 years, Mr. Morella is survived by his children, Paul (Mary) Morella, Mark (Teresa) Morella, Laura (Jay Olsen) Morella, Christine (David) Titcomb, Catherine (Jeffrey) Sanborn, Rachel (Greg) Swanson, Paul (Leslie) Sasso, and Ursula (Ryen) Munro; 17 grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; sisters, Patricia Judge and Madeline Morella. Predeceased by daughter Louise (Peter) Lundin; brother John Morella; and sister Rita Sharrio.
Anthony Morella passed away peacefully on October 29, 2020, at his home. A funeral service was held today, November 7, 2020, at St. Bartholomew Catholic Church in Bethesda, Maryland.
