Occupation Community developer Spouse(s) Renee | Name H. Morse Died October 29, 2014 | |
 | ||
Full Name Harold Gary Schwartz Born December 19, 1936 ( 1936-12-19 ) Chicago, Illinois Employer Holding Company of the Villages Ltd. Residence The Villages, Florida, United States | ||
Harold Gary Morse (December 19, 1936 – October 29, 2014) was an American billionaire and the developer of The Villages, Florida.
Contents
Personal life and education
Morse was the son of Mary Louise and Harold Schwartz. After the couple divorced, Mary Louise married Clifford Morse, and lived in Central Lake, Michigan. H. Gary Morse was first married to Sharon Morse, who died in 1999. Morse and his second wife, Renee, lived together in a house in The Villages worth more than $1 million. Morse had three children – Mark Morse, Jennifer Parr and Tracy Mathews; each of whom own and work for the Holding Company of the Villages Ltd. He is known for having had a private life, making little contact with other residents and not giving interviews to the media. Upon his death, his family issued the following statement regarding Morse's life:
"Dad never sought the limelight. He was content to stay in the background and enjoy seeing Villagers revel in this amazing lifestyle of their adopted hometown. While he was a friend and adviser to captains of industry, presidents and heads of state, he never lost focus on this community and making it the greatest retirement development in the world.”
He was a close friend of former U.S. Surgical CEO Leon C. Hirsch, and is the grandfather of actress Megan Boone.
Career
Prior to being a land developer, Morse worked as an advertising executive in Chicago. In 1983, Morse moved to Florida to take over his father's business selling vacant lots to mobile home owners. Morse instead decided to build homes, restaurants, pools, and golf courses, and by 1986 Morse was selling more than 500 homes per year. In 2011, the Holding Company of the Villages Ltd. generated at least $550 million in revenue. Morse also was the proprietor of a bank, an insurance company, a local newspaper and other properties. Morse has been described as owning "just about everything" in the community.
In 2008, Morse settled a class-action lawsuit for $40 million that alleged that Morse had misused monthly community amenity fees.
The IRS is investigating the special tax districts Morse used for The Villages.
Political involvement
Morse, his children, and The Villages have donated tens of thousands of dollars to the campaigns of Florida Governor Rick Scott, and served as major fundraisers for George W. Bush and Mitt Romney. In addition, Morse donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Republican National Committee. Morse also used his 147-foot yacht, the Cracker Bay, for political gatherings. Upon receiving news of his death, Florida Governor Rick Scott and Florida United States Senator Marco Rubio issued separate statements on Morse's vision and ultimate realization of The Villages, Florida.
Democrats in The Villages have complained about what they see as their marginalization.
Death
Morse died on October 29, 2014.