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Dale Morgan (gather.app)

Dale Sayler Morgan passed away on August 14, 2021, at Candler Hospital.  “Big Dale” as she was affectionately called by her family, was born in Savannah, Georgia, on May 26, 1924, to the late Major General Henry Benton Sayler and Jessie Dixon Sayler. Dale and her two brothers, Henry and Jack, were army brats and they frequently moved. One of her many stories recounted life at Fort Riley, Kansas, during the early 1930’s and the huge dust storms rolling in from the Dust Bowl. Childhood summers were spent in Savannah visiting her grandmother, Mrs. James M. Dixon. The Dixon’s Tybee cottage which was built in 1896 by her grandfather. Dale loved the outdoors and learned to fish in the Back River at Tybee.  When her family resided in Washington, DC, Dale attended National Cathedral School and graduated from Holton Arms School. She also attended Sweet Briar College in Virginia and the University of North Carolina. During World War II, Dale held a position at the State Department in the coding division and was a volunteer with the Red Cross Motor Corps.  In 1950, she moved to Savannah and took a job as an account executive at Merrill Lynch. She was among the first women to become a licensed stockbroker in Georgia. Two years later, she married G. Philip Morgan Jr., a realtor and developer. They lived and raised their family in Savannah and celebrated fifty years of marriage prior to his death in 2002.

Dale lived her life to the fullest and volunteered in many organizations including The American Red Cross, Savannah Council of Girl Scouts, Junior League of Savannah, and the Southeast Chatham Land Use Advisory Committee.  She served as President of the Women of Christ Episcopal Church, Chairman of the Christ Church Tour of Homes, Chairman of the Episcopal Youth and Children’s Services, and President of the Trustees’ Garden Club of Savannah, which is affiliated with the Garden Club of America. She was a Garden Club of America Approved Horticulture Judge, a position she was most honored to hold.

Dale was a member of St. John’s Episcopal Church, The Chatham Club, The Oglethorpe Club, the Colonial Dames, the Georgia Historical Society, the Telfair Museum of Art, the Bonaventure Historical Society and the Davenport House Museum. She enjoyed many other activities including gardening, golfing, flower arranging, traveling, and needlepointing.  

Big Dale loved and treasured her family, the companionship of her dogs, and her many friendships. She always had a smile and believed that “life is a great adventure and each day must be enjoyed with waking hours filled to the brim”.  Dale will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

Dale is survived by her three children, Diane Viall (Dick) of Sewickley, PA, and San Martin de los Andes, AR, Gustave Philip Morgan III (Winn) and Henry Sayler Morgan (Lee) of Savannah, GA; seven grandchildren: Dale (Little Dale) Hammond Bowers (Sam) of Newnan, GA, Pearce W. Hammond Jr.(Patricia) of Houston, TX, Delia Hammond Zielinski (Piotr) of Hagerstown, MD, Lane Morgan Yates (Charlie) of Atlanta, GA, Gustave P. Morgan IV (Louise) of Sandy Springs, GA,  Jennifer Morgan of Savannah, GA,  and Lilly Morgan of Atlanta, GA. Dale was also blessed with seven great grandchildren: Jessie and Emily Bowers, Carolyn and Margaret Hammond, Morgan and Charlie Yates IV and Gustave P. Morgan V; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her two brothers, John Milton Sayler (Jack) of Savannah, GA, and Henry Benton Sayler of St. Petersburg, FL.

The family especially wishes to express its heartfelt thanks to Dale’s remarkable and loving caregivers, Sara Mosley, Leah Harrison, Yalanda Cooper, Norma Hayden, Cecilia Edwards, Janice Ryant and Carolyn Johnson as well as Tina Agrilla, Dale’s trusted and loyal friend for many years. The family would also like to thank her physician, Dr. J. Allen Meadows and the Candler staff in the ER and on 6 North for their care and compassion.

A private family graveside service will be held on September 4 at Bonaventure Cemetery. Prior to that date, a livestream link will be available on www.foxandweeks.com.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be sent to St. John’s Church, 1 West Macon Street Savannah, GA 31401 or Trustees’ Garden Club Endowment Fund, c/o The Savannah Community Foundation, 2225 Norwood Avenue, Suite B, Savannah, GA 31406.