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Beloved math teacher at Bath High School, and later, Northside High School, Lorna Thomas Morris, passed away on March 13. 

Her friends and family in the following weeks have been asked about the summation of her life. In what ways did she add to or enrich their lives? What lessons does her life teach those who are left behind to remember her? 

The answer can be found in an eclair cake. 

Morris’ eclair cakes were famous among her family, friends and students. A simple, no-bake recipe consisting of graham crackers, vanilla pudding and chocolate ganache made such an impression on them, that now it’s part of her legacy. 

She made one for her students when they achieved a goal or did well on exams. When the 1994 Northside High School baseball team competed in the state championships, Morris made a cake for every meal the team shared.  A little superstitious, the team ate the same meal every day – roast beef sandwiches, chips and cake – to help their chances of winning the championship, which they won, Claudia Alligood, a former colleague of Morris shared. 

The eclair cake was more than a delectable dessert to enjoy after a win in the classroom or on the field. It was a physical representation of Morris’ care for her students. Her benevolence knew no bounds. She once offered to pay for a college class a former student needed in order to graduate in addition to supporting a student for a semester who needed food and clothing.

Morris’ dedication to meeting the needs of her students, her son Glenwood speculates, stemmed from watching the difference an education could make in a person’s life. 

“She had seen the difference an education could make in people’s lives; even in her own life. She grew up on a farm in eastern North Carolina. She was the first of five children to go to college and the first of five children to get a degree…When she saw kids that were in need of help, she would do everything she could to help make sure they got the guidance they needed, but also material things,” Glenwood said.  

Morris was one of five children born to William and Irene Thomas who farmed tobacco in Bath. 

“My sister is amazing to me,” Nancy Thomas said. “Her first thought in any situation was never about herself. It was about the other person and what did they need and what could she do to help them.” 

Morris cared deeply about her students’ education. She learned how to solve a math problem in several different ways so that she knew how to explain it to students who may not understand the first time. Even when her students, siblings or children called to ask for help with a math problem, she would help them over the phone. 

The Daily News requested comments from Morris’ former students on the impact she had on their lives and education. 

Michelle Jefferson Allen wrote, “Mrs. Morris was a great teacher. I had her for all my high school math classes and am very thankful. She taught in a way that had you work out the problems in an organized manner. I wish so bad my step-kids could have had her! They likely would have done much better in Algebra. She was strict with how to do things but very fair. Loved having her! She will truly be missed!!” 

Kelly Slade added, “Mrs. Morris is an amazing math teacher. She’s the reason that I became a math teacher.” 

Bryan Tuten said, “Mrs. Morris was an outstanding teacher and even better person. So many great teachers at Bath High School and she was one of the best ones. She was compassionate with all the students and truly cared about them and their well being. Loved Mrs Morris and she prepared us well.” 

Morris taught in Beaufort County for 30 years then moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee to be closer to her daughter, Joy Harvey. She continued to teach for another 16 years and was a mentor to other math teachers as a clinical instructor, her obituary shared. 

If Thomas could say one last thing to her sister, she would say something that summed up Morris’ life and legacy as a teacher, sister and member of the Bath community – “you were the best of us.”