Ray Morris Jr., a technical school grad who was good with numbers and rose to become head of Pet Inc., died Sunday (Aug. 29, 2010) at St. Luke's Hospital in Chesterfield. He was 86.

Mr. Morris, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, fell at his home in Chesterfield on Aug. 20 and broke his left arm. His family said he never recovered after an operation to mend the break.

Mr. Morris grew up in St. Louis, the son of a factory watchman. He graduated from Hadley Technical High School and Washington University, then served in the Army Air Forces as a radio operator during World War II.

While home on leave, he met Mary Alice Haun at the old Harry's on Kingshighway, a restaurant and dance spot. "We were both poor kids," she recalled.

They married a year later, when both were 20.

After the war, he answered a newspaper ad for a young man who was good with figures. Pet Inc. soon named him advertising product manager.

Pet was formed in 1885 in Highland as the old Helvetia Milk Condensing Company. A committee of Highland citizens bought shares of stock to build a condensing plant and make unsweetened "Highland Evaporated Cream."

By the 1970s, Pet Inc. was enjoying record profits. In 1978, a Chicago-based company called ICI — a conglomerate that took its name from the Illinois Central Railroad — completed an unfriendly takeover after secretly purchasing shares in Pet.

In 1984, Mr. Morris, president of Pet's grocery group during the takeover, was promoted to chief executive officer and company president.

Pet began selling off properties, including the dairy division, but kept its canned milk products. In an interview with Forbes magazine, Mr. Morris acknowledged that evaporated milk was a declining business, but added, "you don't want to sell your heritage."

Under Mr. Morris, Pet later expanded its international sales and acquired new properties, including Progresso soups. Pet's parent company sold its railroad operations and changed its name to Whitman Corp.

Pet Inc. then went through a series of new owners. In 1996, Sverdrup Corp. took over the distinctive Pet Building, the riverfront headquarters Pet had built in 1969.

Mr. Morris retired in 1989. He served on the boards of Boatmen's Bank and the Boy Scouts, and chaired the Salvation Army Tree of Lights campaign.

Family and friends will hold a memorial service at 10:30 a.m. Sept. 11 at Bonhomme Presbyterian Church, 14820 Conway Road, Chesterfield.

In addition to his wife, survivors include two daughters, Janiece Donaldson of the Lake of the Ozarks and Claudia Edmondson of O'Fallon, Mo.; a son, James Morris of St. Charles; five grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.