Richard A. “Joe” Morton (1927-2015)

MORTON, KOCH, MORTON, GAARDE, KUPER, NEUHOFF

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 3/14/2015 at 10:59:35

Obituary from Iowa Cremation:

Richard A. “Joe” Morton, formerly of Ames, IA and Paradise Valley, AZ, passed away peacefully on February 28 in Iowa Falls, IA.

Born in 1927 in Council Bluffs, IA to Ethel and Jay Morton, Joe had no siblings and keenly felt that lack in his life, which he filled instead with family, friends, reading, music, photography, politics, travel, dogs, sports, writing amusing stories, sharing jokes, and sending letters to the editor, among other interests.

He was a talented athlete in multiple sports in high school and college. He was proud to be part of the 1944 Waverly, IA boys high school state championship basketball team, and he placed highly in many amateur golf tournaments as an adult. After high school graduation, Joe enlisted in the US Navy as WWII was coming to a close. He enrolled at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, IA afterwards, graduating in 1950 with degrees in economics and business administration. His love of jazz music here earned him the nickname “Jellyroll”, which he retained happily all of his life. He formed lifelong friendships in Waverly and Mt. Vernon.

In 1952 Joe married fellow Waverly High School graduate and Iowa State College home economics alumna Patricia Jean Koch. The two settled in Ithaca, NY, where Joe earned a degree in hotel management from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, but his studies and their wish to start a large family were interrupted by his diagnosis of tuberculosis, requiring two lengthy sanitarium stays and surgery. Undeterred, they proceeded to have six children in seven years, moving from upstate New York to Seattle, WA to San Jose, CA to Rochester, MN before returning to Iowa. Changing careers from the hospitality industry to higher education development, Joe excelled in fundraising for Cornell College, Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, CA and finally for the Iowa State University Foundation, in Ames, IA. Hired by ISU in 1967 to begin the fundraising campaign for the Iowa State Center and, later, the Jack Trice football stadium and other capital projects, he retired in 1986 as Director of Development. Again, cherished friendships grew from this period of Joe’s life.

As Joe and Pat put their six children through high school and college, they began to travel widely, often hosting ISU Alumni Association trips abroad, even after retiring. As a father, Joe promoted education and lifelong learning above all else, and he encouraged a strong work ethic early by having three children at a time share a Des Moines Register paper route in both Mt. Vernon and Ames. Joe and Pat took the family on a five week tour of western Europe in the summer of 1979 to share their love of travel. They were loving and devoted grandparents. Joe also served in various volunteer capacities with the Ames Society of Friends, Ames Youth and Shelter Services, the Ames Public Library, ISU’s Veenker Golf Course, the Ames Animal Shelter and the Cornell College Alumni Association. Joe was interested in promoting social justice and giving a hand to those less fortunate.

Widowed in 1995, Joe married Joy Litts Gaarde of Mt. Vernon, IA and Paradise Valley, AZ the following year. They divided their time between the two states and delighted in friends and frequent family gatherings. He returned to Iowa for good in 2011 when the symptoms of his Parkinson’s disease made additional nursing care necessary, and in order to be centrally located to his children.

Joe is survived by his second wife, Joy Gaarde Morton of Paradise Valley, AZ, children Marian (Keith) Kuper of Ackley, IA; Andrew (Ana) Morton of Alexandria, VA; Laura (Tom Moldenhauer) Morton of West St. Paul, MN; Joel Morton of Cambridge, MA; Carol Neuhoff of Madison, WI and Marc Morton of Englewood, CO; grandchildren Maya Kuper, Lindsey (Alex Rudnick) Kuper, Nicholas Neuhoff, Mitchell Neuhoff and Erik Morton. He was preceded in death by his parents and his first wife.

We will remember Joe as a gentleman of great personal warmth, humor, enthusiasm and a sense of adventure. He was an incredibly compassionate person and will be greatly missed. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Cornell College, Mt. Vernon, IA or to Hospice of North Iowa.

A celebration of life will be held Saturday, June 6, 2015 from 2:00 until 6:00 PM in the Campanile Room of the Iowa State University Memorial Union in Ames, Iowa.