OCBP Rowing Legend Tom Morrison Dies at 52

Tom Morrison, an Ocean City Beach Patrol Hall-of-Famer, died on Tuesday, May 21, a day before his 53rd birthday.

Morrison was a rookie lifeguard in 1979, and he quickly became one of the patrol's best rowers. His rowing prowess helped the OCBP win the 1981, 1983 and 1984 South Jersey Championships.

With the help of his singles rowing, the OCBP won every inter-city competition during the summer of 1984 — the South Jerseys, Margate Memorials, Dutch Hoffmans in Wildwood, the Cape May County title and the Around-the-Island Row.

He was inducted into the OCBP Hall of Fame in 1995.

Morrison, a pilot with Delta Air Lines, died of heart failure while on a layover in London, according to family members.

He lived in Lansdale, Pa., and is survived by his wife, Peg; son, Jeffrey; daughter, Kristen; sister, Suzanne Monihan; and father, Tom Morrison Sr.

Details on funeral arrangements are not yet available, but services will likely be in Chalfonte, Pa., next week.