Prue Morton
Prudence "Prue" Morton (née Ollivant; died 2006) was a Port Arthur community volunteer and philanthropist, and the widow of the murdered paediatrician Dr. Stephen Morton.[1]
Life
Prue Ollivant came from an English family and married Stephen Morton at the end of the Second World War; under the law of the time she lost her British citizenship on marrying him and had to reapply for it. She emigrated with him to Canada, and the couple settled in Port Arthur with their four children.[2]
The murder of her husband
Prue was asleep beside her husband when he was shot dead by an intruder in the early hours of 30 August 1961, and she telephoned the police afterward. She gave a newspaper interview that September and testified at the 1962 inquest, describing the killer as a tall, thin man who fired six shots; observers repeatedly noted her composure, the constable first on the scene recalling that she "seemed quite cool and calm." See Stephen Morton for a full account.[1]
Later life
Prue Morton remained in the family home for the rest of her life and became known for extensive community volunteering, often travelling by bicycle. According to her son Adam Morton, she gave away much of her money, bought houses for people in need, and was the anonymous donor whose initial gift founded the Thunder Bay Foundation. She died in 2006.[2][1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 G.G. Niemi, "Two of My Doctors Who Died by the Gun", Medium, 2022.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Adam Morton, "Notes from Adam's life".