Luann Marie Morphew

Luann Marie Morphew

July 26, 1959 - June 21, 2025

With the sun setting gently over the volcanic ridges of San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala, Luann Marie Morphew peacefully took her final breath on June 21, 2025, surrounded by dear friends who had become family. For the past twenty years, this lakeside village-cradled between lush mountains and the shimmering waters of Lake Atitlan-was not just where she lived, but where her soul had found home.

Born on July 26, 1959, in Michigan, Luann spent her early years soaking in the joys of Midwestern life. A natural beauty with a spirited heart, she graced and won numerous beauty pageants in her youth and was known for her athletic fire-especially on the softball field. She graduated from New Palestine High School, leaving behind a trail of laughter, competition, and charm.

Luann once called Brown County, Indiana, home, but her adventurous spirit longed for more. When she met her beloved husband, Nestor Castillo, her dreams of travel began to bloom into a full and colorful reality. Together they journeyed through Central America, building a life rich with culture, love, and entrepreneurial adventure. They eventually discovered their slice of paradise in Guatemala, where they founded Smokin' Joe's BBQ-a lively hub that quickly became a cornerstone of the community in San Pedro.

She adored her life on the lake, often marveling at the crisp mountain air, vibrant street colors, and starry Guatemalan nights. Even during the rainy season, she would speak of her deep love for the place, calling it her sanctuary and forever home.

Luann's vivacious spirit lives on in the hearts of those she leaves behind: her parents, Marilou and Donald McKenzie; her loving daughters, Amanda (Randy) LaVere and Nicole Morphew; her adopted children, Glenda Maria Castro and Juan Manuel Chavajay; grandsons, Isaac (Morgaine) Wilkerson and Bladen Drezweicki; great-grandchildren Alaric and Eimhir Wilkerson; siblings Ronald (Linda) and Clinton (Brooke) McKenzie; her ever-faithful canine companion, Torro; her dear friend, Esther de Vries; and all her friends in Guatemala. She now rejoins her beloved Nestor, her sister Lisa Needham, and her cherished grandmother Zelda Sperry, in eternal peace.

To know Luann was to know laughter that echoed, a smile that warmed the soul, and a presence as fierce and radiant as the Guatemalan sun. She was wildly passionate, wonderfully stubborn, and endlessly giving. Whether dominating a softball game, relaxing by the lake, or flipping ribs on the grill with Nestor, she lived life out loud and full of love.

Her passing leaves a deep ache in the hearts of many. But even in her absence, her light continues to shine-through the family she adored, the community she built, and the countless lives she touched. Luann has flown home to peace, reunited with those she loved, and though she is gone from our sight, her story will be told for generations to come.