Cory Morgan

1960—2018

Cory Ringsmith Morgan passed away on June 25, 2018 after a four year battle with dementia at the age 58.

Cory was born on March 5, 1960 in Vallejo, California to Bruce Ringsmith and Cherie Rodrigo Solomon. Growing up on the corner of Jefferson Street and El Capitan her explorations of the world began small, within her neighborhood: riding her bike, swimming, playing softball, cheerleading, along with many other interests with friends and family. Cory graduated from Vintage High School in 1978 and began work in many valley restaurants and bars, beginning what would become a lifelong talent and love for cuisine and wine. In her early twenties, and much to the surprise to her mother, Cory packed a backpack and made a solo trip to Europe. The experience would change her forever and would prove to be the beginning of many world wide adventures.

Sitting at the River City bar, Cory met her late husband, Benjamin (Alex) Morgan, and it was clear that they had each met one another’s match. It is hard to determine which of them was smarter and who was more hilarious. Together, they explored the world, from restaurants in St. Helena, New Orleans and New York City to far and exotic places, including England, Italy, France, Bali, and Singapore. Alex died November 10, 1995 after just one year of marriage.

In the years that followed, Cory enjoyed throwing parties, Broadway shows, concerts, cooking elaborate meals and continued traveling to places as far away as Egypt. She found inspiration in indulging her creative and entrepreneurial outlets. She cultivated a unique and timeless personal style. She found comfort and company in lifelong friends, her dogs, Bella and Buster and cat Babette. She was a voracious reader and a student of so many subjects. She loved the ocean, Stephen King, Disneyland, cooking, world history, and Led Zeppelin. She was an avid sports fan and continued to play softball. She was a collector of whatever she found beautiful and interesting. Cory was a jack of all trades, followed no rules, paved her own path and was never bored.

One of Cory’s proudest achievements was becoming an esthetician and opening her own skin care business. She created a serene and beautiful sanctuary for her friends and clients who would drop in for a visit just to take in the bouquet of the day or a Nespresso. She showcased her collections seasonally and took great pride in her workspace. She was inspired by beauty and simplicity.

Cory is survived by her mother and step-father, Cherie and Jean Solomon of Napa, father and step-mother Bruce and Pat Ringsmith of White Bird, Idaho, her siblings, Colette Abernethy (Mike), Heidi Ringsmith, Bruce Ringsmith, brother-in-law Joe Rocha, in addition to step siblings and families, nieces, nephew, cousins, aunts and uncles. Cory is preceded in death by her dear sister, Yvette Ringsmith Rocha and her beloved husband Alex Morgan.

A memorial and Celebration of Cory’s Life will be held on Friday, July 6th at 1:00 P.M. at Tulocay Cemetary, 411 Coombsville Road, Napa CA, a reception will follow.

In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations to the UCSF Foundation

Donate Online: To make a secure donation online to the UCSF Memory and Aging Center, go to makeagift.ucsf.edu/brain.

Donate by Mail: Please make your check payable to the UCSF Foundation and include MAC Fund B1871 in the memo line of your check. To make the gift in memory of a special family member or friend, please include the name of the individual on your check or in a separate note.

Please mail all checks to:

UCSF Foundation Lock Box #45339, San Francisco, CA 94145-0339

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Cory Morgan, please visit our floral store.