Retired journalist Harold H. Morse Jr. died Feb. 16 in Normal, Ill., after an illness. He was 90.

Born Nov. 27, 1933, to Harold and Hazel Morse, he grew up on a farm in Dwight, Ill., and graduated from Dwight High School in 1952. At first he planned a career in agriculture. That changed after he spent a year at Southeast Missouri State College and served in the Army from 1953 to 1955.

With newfound interest in history, literature and social sciences – and a desire to write – he entered the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign after leaving the Army and earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1958. He went on to complete a master’s degree at Illinois in social science, with an emphasis on the Soviet Union.

Inspired by President John Kennedy, he re-entered the Army at the time of the 1961 Berlin Crisis, eventually ending up in South Korea. On his way home from the Army he contacted the Honolulu Star Bulletin about a job and worked there nearly 40 years as a reporter and copy editor.

After retiring to Illinois, he wrote occasional articles for newspapers and worked on several novels he hoped to publish.

Married and divorced, he had two children, Laraine and Frederick, both of whom died before him. His two sisters, June Miller of Joliet and Jeannine Hansen of Odell, also preceded him in death. He is survived by nieces and nephews.

No services are planned.