Morton F. Page ’46 died on November 17, 2016, in Exeter, New Hampshire.

(The following was published in the Union Leader, November 23, 2016:)

For the majority of his career, Mort worked as a design engineer at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard until he retired in 1981. During this time, Mort held a position of great responsibility, managing various departments engaged in the repair and construction of submarines.

Mort is survived by his loving wife, Betty G. (Orvis) Page. The long-time couple first met at the Portsmouth traffic circle Howard Johnson. From that day forward, they formed a lasting marriage that carried on for 64 years. The couple spent their time enjoying each other’s company, socializing, playing golf, and traveling after Mort retired.

Additionally, Mort is survived by his daughter, Cynthia Wajda, and her husband, Ronald, of Sarasota Fla.; his son, Richard Page, and his wife, Marynia, of Exeter; and his son, Lawrence Page, also of Exeter; as well as his grandchildren: Nicholas and Jessica Wajda and Christine and Shannon Page; and his great-grandchildren, Elijah and Adeline Wajda.

Mort and Betty resided in Kittery and Hampton and, after retirement, split their time between Exeter and Sarasota, Fla., traveling back and forth each spring and fall in a fully loaded car, stopping to visit friends along the way. Later in life, the couple moved permanently to Riverwoods in Exeter with their precious dog, Misty.

During his younger years, Mort was a standout student athlete. Playing many sports throughout high school in Winthrop, Mass., he later earned a full scholarship to Bowdoin College. While there, Mort achieved a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering in only three years. This was accomplished all while starting as catcher and captain of the baseball team.

In his spare time, Mort also enjoyed golfing and was a member of Portsmouth Country Club, where he played in the Twilight league and in many tournaments, often with Betty.

Mort was also known by those close to him as somewhat of a “”card shark.”” Sporting a reputation as an avid bridge player, a younger Mort played often during lunch at the shipyard, weekly with friends in the evening, and he carried on this passion through retirement, organizing a regular game at Riverwoods until his advancing age prevented him from winning, so he decided to retire from the game.

Always the student, Mort taught himself to play the organ and loved to harmonize with friends who sang and drank Manhattans with him. He was an early admirer of technology, learning computer programming when the new machines were room-sized. He used them throughout his career to increase efficiency at the shipyard and to communicate and manage his own affairs later in life. He even had his own Facebook account!

He will be deeply missed by his family and many friends.