A Celebration of Life for Mary K. Morse will be 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at the Sundown Tavern Patio in downtown Ruston, LA for her family of friends.
On March 25, 2026, our beautiful dear Mary K. passed away peacefully in the company of dedicated lifelong friends.
Mary K. was born on August 19, 1941, to James Morse and Mary Regina Lawless in Mare Island, California at the naval hospital.
A talented artist and teacher, she earned her Bachelors of Art with a major in Art History at Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan in 1963 and studied at the Detroit School of Arts and Crafts after college. In 1967, she earned her Masters of Fine Arts in painting at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.
Mary K. moved to Louisiana in 1968 and taught in the School of Art and Architecture at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana from 1968-1999. She also served as the Director of the University’s Art Gallery from 1980 – 1997.
During those years in Louisiana there were frequent gatherings at her home where she shared her cool pool on hot days and treated her company with culinary delights and always made everyone feel welcome and happy with lots of love and laughter.
Mary K. lived life fully and with open arms and mind, traveling to China, India and Europe and closer to home with an annual trip to Dauphin Island, AL. with a close group of friends.
When Mary K. retired from teaching, she moved to Austin, Texas to concentrate on creating bronze sculptures of human figures.
In 2021, Mary K. moved back to Ruston, LA. to be closer to longtime friends. She was a wonderfully kind and loving friend, a skilled and creative artist and a patient and talented teacher. Mary K. will be missed by many!
