John Morton

  John Morton

John was born in Belleville, Illinois on February 12, 1955, to Larry and Pat (Donahue) Morton.

He was a natural leader as Class President, Varsity Athlete, and National Honor Society member

at Dupo Community High School. After attending the University of Illinois, he began a long and

successful telecommunications career with GTE and Verizon. He was known as a great

communicator and charismatic leader, with an unmatched work ethic and drive for success.

John loved the outdoors. He was a competitive golfer, an expert fisherman and an active

hunter. He loved the camaraderie of sharing these passions with close friends. To his family

and friends, John was the best fisherman they had ever seen. As a little boy, he could not pass

a small pond or even a mud puddle, without asking his Dad “do you think there are any fish in

there?”.

John married the love of his life, Tammy, on New Year’s Day 2008 on a beach in the Bahamas.

He told everyone he met how he had ‘outkicked his coverage’ by getting this amazing woman

to fall in love with him. They complemented each other in every way and remained deeply in

love for over 14 years until his passing on July 19, 2022.

John was preceded in death by his Father (Larry) and Mother (Pat), as well as his first born son,

Senior Airman, USAF, John Patrick Morton, who died in an accident in Italy in 2002. He is

survived by his loving wife, Tammy, and his two children Jeremy (Maitri) Morton and Jamie

(Adam) Goodfellow, along with four grandchildren Hazel, Avery, John and Colt. He is also

survived by his sister, Carrie (Len) Crane, and his brother, Larry (Diana) Morton, as well as

numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Memorial contributions may be made via WoundedWarriorProject.org. Local Obituary was provided by: Finch Funeral Home 310 Oak St. DeKalb, IL, 60115 (815) 758-3841.