Morris was born in Eindhoven, Netherlands, to Cornelis Bol, a physicist and inventor, and Josina den Haan, a chemist. In 1936, the family immigrated to Palo Alto, California. Morris was the fifth of six sons, all of whom predeceased him. He graduated from Palo Alto High School and then came to Reed, where he wrote his thesis, “A Study of the Negative Corona Gas Discharge Beads in Air,” advised by Prof. Jean Delord [physics 1950–88]. He received both a PhD in physics and an MD from Stanford University, where he was a Woodrow Wilson fellow.
Morris practiced medicine in Denver, Colorado, for 17 years. He was married and raised four children before he and his wife divorced. He met Lewis Crickard, who was involved with the theater program at the University of Denver. After Lewis joined the faculty at Dartmouth, the partners moved to Norwich, Vermont, where they lived for two decades. During that time, Morris practiced medicine at White River Junction Medical Practice and was an adjunct faculty member at Dartmouth Medical School, where he was a valued mentor to medical students who rotated through his clinic. For many years, students voted Morris “Best Teacher,” an unusual honor for a doctor who worked in the community.
He and Lewis moved to San Francisco and, after 34 years together, married at San Francisco City Hall in 2015. Morris is survived by his husband of 42 years, Lewis Crickard, and four daughters, Jennifer Bol, Dana Bol, Pamela Riess, and Rebecca Dupont.