Neil Morse, a career journalist and communications specialist who found his niche in the mortgage space, died April 27 of liver cancer. He was 62.
Morse, who started his own editorial and marketing communications firm in 2000 after working for several years as executive editor of Secondary Marketing Executive, advised mortgage industry clients and wrote for several industry publications.
“He was the consummate journalist who was devoted to his craft,” said Janet Reilley Hewitt, the editor in chief of Mortgage Banking, the Mortgage Bankers Association’s monthly magazine.
Besides his insightful feature stories on key topics of the day for that journal, Morse wrote the popular “On the Road” column, a “back-of-the-book” compendium of interesting and meaningful quotes that had caught his ear at the various industry business meetings he covered. He attended some two dozen mortgage conferences a year.
But he was always careful not to breach the firewall between his editorial efforts and the marketing side of his business. He represented numerous industry clients, often complex technology companies whose stories were difficult to tell. Yet, he always found a way to make other journalists understand what they did and how they worked.
“He set the tone and gave us valuable direction for our PR and advertising campaigns,” said Robert Yeary, chairman of Reverse Mortgage Solutions. “He did a great job of helping us ‘brand’ RMS. He helped many of us in the mortgage industry; a very creative guy.”
David O’Malley, president of ACES Risk Management, was another client who found Morse to be creative. “He was so clever on taking just a few thoughts, ideas and some data and turning them around to make us all look brilliant,” O’Malley said.
One of his early editorial clients was the National Home Equity Lenders Association, the trade association for subprime lenders, which merged with the MBA in 2006. He edited NHEMA’s monthly magazine.
As an intuitive moderator, Morse also often facilitated panel sessions at industry business meetings, where, because of his journalistic background, he had the ability to help participants clarify their message and keep the discussion on point.
Morse participated in many of SourceMedia Mortgage Group’s conferences, moderating panels or leading peer groups. “He had a great talent for facilitating discussions that added a lot of value for those who attended our shows,” said Mark Fogarty, the mortgage group’s editorial director.
A lifelong Yankees fan—the yarmulkes he wore at both his children’s weddings were emblazoned with the familiar NY logo—Neil Jeffery Morse was born in Queens, N.Y., on March 5, 1950, and grew up in Queens and Binghamton, N.Y.
He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Bridgeport and began his career as a reporter for the Bridgeport Post, now the Connecticut Post. He later earned a master’s degree in communications from Fairfield University, where he served for several years as adjunct faculty member.
He taught, he often said, “as a labor of love for the return joy of sharing a passion that has driven most of my career choices over the years.”
Morse was a member of Congregation Adath Israel for more than 30 years, including four as president.
He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Susan, son Joshua Morse of Vermont, daughter Jessica Morse Gerrish of New Jersey and grandson Jacob. He lived with his wife in Newtown, Conn.
