Donald Dean Morgan
Passed: October 27, 2020
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Donald Dean Morgan
Passed: October 27, 2020
Obituary
Donald Dean Morgan, 85, of Goodyear, Arizona, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on October 27, 2020. He was born in Columbus Junction, Iowa, on February 22, 1935. He graduated from Columbus Junction High School in 1953 and served in the U.S. Navy and the Naval Reserve for 8 years. He earned his degree in pharmacy from the University of Iowa after discharge from active duty in the Navy.
He married Barbara (Rosene) Morgan in 1954 and they had two daughters, Donna Morgan and Deana (Morgan) Irvine. They moved to Prescott, Arizona in 1963 where Don served as Chief Pharmacist at Yavapai Community Hospital.
Starting in 1973, Don was an officer in the United States Public Health Service for 31 years working in the Indian Health Service. He worked at various locations including San Carlos, Towaoc, Cibecue, Kotzebue, Phoenix, Anchorage, and Denver. He worked as pharmacist, facilities planner and personnel director. He received many medals and awards during his service. After 35 years of Navy and USPHS service, he retired in 2004.
In 1992, he married Rachel (Lopez) Morgan. They resided in Anchorage and Colorado before returning to Arizona and settling in Goodyear in 2005. Since then, they have been members of Avondale Baptist Church (formerly First Southern Baptist Church of Avondale). Don was a deacon in the church and has faithfully served his Lord.
Don was deeply loved by so many. He was an amazing man! He was a kind, loving, patient, funny, generous, gentle man who loved his Lord, his wife, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, extended family, and many, many friends! He loved to spend quality time with his family and friends. He loved to read his Bible and every book on Heaven that he could find.
He loved football, baseball, basketball, board games, card games, movies, reading, traveling, fishing, crossword puzzles, the comics (especially the Sunday comics), Mexican food and ice cream! He was an excellent singer, musician, and actor in his younger years. His life-long dream to visit his ancestral home in Wales came true in 2013, praise God!
He is survived by Rachel Morgan, his wife of 28 years, his daughters Deana Irvine (David) and Donna Morgan, stepdaughter Julieta Noble and stepson Morgan Ellig (Natalie), brother Dave Morgan (Jane), sister Nancy Fischer (Jerry), 11 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, several “adopted” grandchildren (especially in our church), and many cousins, nieces, nephews, and in-laws.
He was preceded in death by his father and mother, Donald Emlyn and Carrol Irene Morgan, and his sisters, Rosalie Reed and Margaret Arnold.
Visitation will be at 10 a.m. on Saturday, November 14, followed by a funeral service at 11 a.m. at Avondale Baptist Church, 1001 N. Central, Avondale, Arizona 85323. Please wear masks and practice social distancing. There will be no reception afterwards. A private interment in the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona on Cave Creek Rd. will take place on Monday, Nov. 16.
Charitable donations may be made in Don’s name to Avondale Baptist Church, http://www.abcaz.net or to Hospice of the Valley, http://www.hov.org/donate.
16 responses to Donald Dean Morgan
Eve Estrada-Lopez says:
November 17, 2020
Tia Rachel,
Our deepest condolences for your loss. Don was so kind and always so pleasant to be around. He is at rest now, no longer suffering. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. Love, Eve, Adriana and Alina
Rachel Morgan says:
November 22, 2020
Dear Eve, Adriana, and Alina,
Thank you so much for your love, support, prayers, and kind words! Yes, Don was amazingly kind and pleasant and I miss him terribly. I praise God that he is with Him today and that I will see him again!
Thank you so much to you and the girls for your beautiful cards. That meant the world to me. I do hope we can get together after this is all over. Love to the three of you! Tia Rachel
Tia Rachel
Jim Martin says:
November 21, 2020
Rachel,
Jim here from MOM. Working with you has been such an inspiration for me. It is in times like these we carry each other in our hearts. We have truly laughed together, cried together, prayed together and became one together! I believe their is a curtain right in front of all of us. We can’t see what is right on the other side of the curtain but everything in our soul whispers heaven, Jesus and reunion with our loved ones. Blessed are we who have been taken deeply into the experience of love by a blessed marriage! Rachael, Don is now one the other side waiting with outstretched arms for you. Death has no hold on us rather, it opens the curtain to heaven, Don and Jesus! My prayers for consultation, healing and enormous hugs and love go out to you! My friend, not the end but the most holy blessed beginning is ahead! Love & Hugs to you. Jim
Rachel Morgan says:
November 22, 2020
Hi, Jim,
What a joy to hear from you! It has been an inspiration for me to work with you as well. What a wonderful connection we’ve had in our MOM group! Thank you for your love, support, and your prayers! Don is the love of my life and I miss him terribly, but I am rejoicing that he is with Jesus and that I will see him again!
I hope to go back to MOM eventually, but it may not be until after the first of the year. If you go, please give my love to everyone. Love and hugs to you, too! Rachel
Marga Frantz says:
November 22, 2020
Dear Rachel,
I volunteered at MOM w you for a short while but during that time was blessed to be the recipient of your kindness and joy in the Lord. Physical death is simply a reminder that Don and us are sojourners here, this is not our home. Don is home! And I too rejoice with you and the angels that he is with our precious, living Jesus. A few weeks have passed since he departed now and I pray that Holy Spirit continue to comfort and hold you during these days until you and Don will meet again-what a joy that will be!!
Marlene Chisholm says:
December 12, 2020
Dear Rachel,
So sorry to hear the news of Don’s home going. The two of you made such a lovely couple. I know you miss him, but I know you have some very good memories. You were very blessed to have him as your husband. I know you did as much for him as you could. Now he’s in God’s hands. May our Lord bless and comfort you through this difficult time. He is your sustainer and will never leave you. You are in my prayers.
Love,
Marlene