California Apparel News

Sidney L. Morse, a longtime apparel industry executive and philanthropist, died Feb. 1 after battling leukemia. He was 71.

Morse was a well-known fixture in the apparel industry, serving for 30 years as managing general partner of the CaliforniaMart in downtown Los Angeles.

The building, now known as the California Market Center, was founded by Morse’s father, Barney Morse, and uncle, Harvey Morse, and Sidney “Duke” Becker in 1962. Sidney Morse—known to many in the industry as Sid—joined the business in 1965.

The New York native moved with his family to Los Angeles as a teenager and attended Los Angeles High School and the University of Southern California’s Pierce School of Agriculture, California State University in Sacramento and Sierra College, where he earned an associate of arts degree in animal husbandry.

Before he joined the CalMart, Morse held executive positions with Belmar Builders and California Lingerie Inc.

After retiring from the apparel industry, he joined the film industry, serving as president of film investment company Red Cloud Films Inc. Along with his sons, Neal and Greg, Morse also developed real estate.

Morse will be remembered for his extensive philanthropic activities, including the Fashion Industries Guild of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he served as president. He also served as co-chair of the textile and costume department renovation project at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. He was executive secretary of the Guardians of the Jewish Home for the Aged and chairman of the membership committee of the Los Angeles Headquarters City Association, a networking organization founded to help Los Angeles foster growth and retain businesses.

He was chairman of the United Jewish Fund and vice chairman of its business and professional division. He served as a trustee of the Windward School’s finance committee and served on the boards of numerous organizations, including California Hospital, California Fashion Creators, Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times, the Jewish Community Foundation and the Los Angeles Theater Center.

In 1982, Morse received humanitarian awards from the National Conference of Christians and Jews (now called the National Conference of Communities and Justice), as well as the Lion of Judah Award from the Development Corporation for Israel/State of Israel Bonds.

The Fashion Industries Guild honored him as man of the year in 1990. Among his other awards were the Spring Street Association’s citizen of the year award and the National Father’s Day Council’s father of the year award. And he served as president of the Barney Morse Lodge of B’nai B’rith, which was named for his father.

About 10 years ago, Morse and his wife, Faye, moved to Tucson, Ariz., where he became involved in local philanthropic organizations, including Outward Bound International and the Campaign for Stroke Research Center at the University of Arizona Medical Center. In 2001, he was named Tucson’s philanthropist of the year.

An avid runner and pilot, Morse ran in marathons in Los Angeles, New York and Boston, and piloted his own plane in and around Tucson.

In recent years, Morse split his time between Tucson and San Diego, where he and his wife spent the summer months.

“He was very much in love with his wife, Faye—that was a real love affair,” said Howard Leeds, chairman of the board of Los Angeles–based IG Apparel Inc., and longtime friend and colleague of Morse.

“Sidney wrote his first lease in [the CalMart] building in December of 1965—it was mine,” he said.

Morse worked closely with his uncle and, according to Leeds, “Duke was Sidney’s mentor, without a question.”

He also showed great dedication to his job.

“It was very seldom that Sid wasn’t the first guy to open the building,” Leeds said.

Although Morse was business-minded and took his job very seriously, he also had a sense of humor, Leeds noted, recalling a masquerade party where Morse arrived dressed as a ballerina—a costume that won him the contest.

“Sid was everybody’s friend—a real likable guy,” he said.

Maurice “Corky” Newman met Morse shortly after Morse’s family sold the building to the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States (now called AXA Equitable Life Insurance Co.) in 1994.

“When I took over the [Cal]Mart, he was just leaving and we worked together for a couple of months,” said Newman, who served as general manager of the CalMart under Equitable’s ownership until 1997. “It was just a joy to be with him. He really knew the business and he was a stand-up guy. Whatever Sid said, you could go to the bank with.”

The two became good friends, Newman said, fondly recalling their many Chinatown lunches.

“It’s a big loss to the industry,” he said. “When he was around, he was bigger than life. He was the guy you went to.”

Bruce Corbin, senior vice president of Union Bank of California, also called Morse “bigger than life.”

“He was a good businessman, tough yet fair,” said Corbin, who knew Morse during his tenure as the manager of the bank’s CaliforniaMart office. “He was a recognized leader in the apparel industry and an articulate spokesperson on industry matters.”

Corbin noted Morse’s generosity—both to charitable causes and to his friends and colleagues.

“He believed strongly in giving back to the community and was extremely active in literally dozens of charities and industry causes over the years,” Corbin said. “Sid was also a good friend and went out of the way to be helpful—often without that person knowing of his generosity. He shall be missed by many.”

Hal Kaltman, president of the Textile Association of Los Angeles, echoed Corbin’s sentiments.

“Sidney was a good friend to the marketplace and a very strong friend of TALA,” he said. “Those of us who knew him won’t soon forget him.”

Morse is survived by his wife, Faye; ex-wife, Dr. Beverly Morse; daughters Jonna and Melissa; sons Neal and Greg; and 10 grandchildren.

Funeral services are planned for Feb. 12 at Temple Emanu-El in Tucson, followed by interment at Eastlawn Cemetery.In lieu of flowers, Morse’s family recommends donations be made to the Arizona Cancer Center’s Director’s Circle, 1515 N. Campbell Ave., P.O. Box 245013, Tucson, Ariz. 85724.