James Bradley Morris

On February 1, 2026, James Bradley Morris, beloved husband, father, Pop Pop, friend, and brother, passed away in Huntsville, AL.

Jim was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, to James Howard and Margaret Ann (Johnson) Morris, and lived his formative years in Lafayette, LA. Jim met his wife of 53 years, Brenda Faye Bankston, at Louisiana Tech University. They met on a blind date and, according to Jim, Brenda had him at "hello." They were married on August 26, 1972, and graduated together in March of 1973, where Jim earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Management. Brenda and Jim had one daughter, Rebecca Morris Rowan of Chapin, South Carolina. Rebecca added a third Jim to the family when she married Jim Rowan. They have two daughters, Mya and Anna James, whom Pop Pop adored.

Jim's father instilled in him a love for the outdoors that would eventually span generations. They enjoyed duck hunting and deep-sea fishing in the Gulf of Mexico throughout Jim's younger years. Later, the tables turned, and son Jim sparked an interest in his father for cycling and white-water canoeing. The two traversed many state parks and rivers together across the country. This love for the outdoors was passed along to his daughter, Rebecca. As a family, Jim, Brenda, and Rebecca enjoyed hiking, canoeing, and camping together. Rebecca and her father enjoyed cycling and even did a couple of team triathlons together. Rebecca continues many of these activities with her own family.

Jim was also a passionate leader. Jim's career began early on while he was attending Louisiana Tech. He worked offshore on platform drilling rigs during the summer to earn enough money to sustain the months he was in school. His hard work allowed Jim and Brenda to get married before they graduated from Tech. He was very proud to have been able to support the two of them in this way. After graduation, Jim went to work as an Operations Manager for Butler Johnson Drilling in Shreveport, Louisiana, where he was able to couple his offshore experience with his formal education. As the oil industry slowed down in the 1980's, Jim went to work at Keller Industries as a Division Manager working on geothermal solutions. Jim then made an industry change and went to work in manufacturing, leading several companies in the heavy truck, bus, and industrial equipment segment of business. In 1990, Jim was the Vice President of Able Manufacturing, a Tier I automotive supplier servicing Ford Motor Company, Paccar trucks (Peterbilt and Kenworth), Mack Trucks, Volvo Trucks, and several clients in heavy earth-moving equipment, such as Caterpillar, as well as heavy military trucks for Oshkosh. Jim made his way through several other opportunities but retired as the President of Schwarze Industries, which is the job that brought Jim and Brenda to Huntsville, Alabama. When Jim was of retirement age, he couldn't just sit still. He sought to put his decades of experience in management, turnaround, and growth to good use by providing mentorship and advisory boards to business leaders in his local community. Jim enjoyed leading, and he thoroughly enjoyed the relationships he built throughout his career. He had a long and successful career and touched many lives along the way.

Jim was pre-deceased by his parents, Jim and Margaret Ann Morris, and his wife, Brenda Morris. Jim is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Rebecca and Jim Rowan, and his granddaughters, Mya Kathryn and Anna James Faye. Additionally, he is survived by his two sisters, Barbara (Morris) Rodgers in Austin, Texas, and Nancy (Morris) Hall in Lebanon, Tennessee, as well as nieces and nephews.

We will celebrate Jim's life on February 28, 2026, at Whitesburg Baptist Church, in the chapel located in the South Campus. Visitation will be at 10 am and the service will be at 11 am, with their pastor, David Dye, officiating. Jim's family would be honored by your attendance as we remember and celebrate Jim's life.

The family asks that any charitable donations be made to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minneapolis at give.mayoclinic.org