What set this man apart from other shooters who have
great shooting accomplishments was his affection for
fellow shooters and the unrelenting desire to
contribute of himself. Gary kept involved in
creatively helping his community or a gun club that
needed a little incentive, guidance or spark. The
energy that emanated from him was truly remarkable,
and even more remarkable was the contagiousness of
the good he accomplished. If Gary was leading a
project, you can bet there were some enthusiastic
followers.
At the Toledo VFW Trap Range, where he was very
involved, he organized fun and meat shoots for the
benefit of local charities and families, raising
thousands of dollars that went directly to those in
need. Gary truly made every moment count toward
whatever project or goal he was working on. His
enthusiasm for life and jovial spirit filtered down
to all those having the pleasure of being around
him.
Gary was born in 1933 to George and Mary Morlan
of Portland, Oregon, the founders of George Morlan
Plumbing. He served in the National Guard, the Navy
during the Korean War, and the Air Force. He also
worked as a police officer in Atwater, CA. As you
can see, his past history shows the same dedication
to mankind as we knew him for during his
trapshooting career.
Gary’s passion for trapshooting took on a life of
its own when he and his wife Leone moved to Newberg.
This is where he was tagged “Marathon Man” because
his sights were set on breaking records. To quote
Gary “Records Shall Be Broken”, and indeed they
were.
At age 69, Gary began setting records in the PITA by
shooting 3,500 targets in one day, 13,700 targets in
one week, 22,500 targets in one month, and 132,300
targets in one year. His goal to be the first to
shoot 500,000 registered PITA targets was
accomplished shortly before his death in 2004.
Gary’s dream to see the Oregon State PITA Shoot
again held at the Hillsboro Trap & Skeet Club was
also accomplished in 2004. Gary, along with others,
worked and solicited diligently to get that club
back on its feet. As a result, the 2004 Oregon State
Shoot held in Hillsboro was a huge success. All who
attended felt his presence, especially when a squad
of his close friends fired their final shots of
salute to this powerful friend and humanitarian.
