Ltc John J. Morgan JR.

LTC John J. Morgan, Jr. (USA RET), 95, of Vero Beach, FL passed away at the VNA Hospice House on January 19, 2025.
He was born in New York City, NY to the late John J. Morgan and Ruth McGeady Morgan on April 24, 1929.
John was a graduate of St. Bonaventure College in Olean, NY. He received a regular Army commission as a distinguished military graduate from Army ROTC. He served as an artillery forward observer with the 1st Cavalry Division. He was wounded by multiple gun fire on May 29, 1951, shattering his right arm and earning him the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. He was sent back to the United States and continued to serve his country for 19 more years. He served on active duty from 1950 – 1970 and retired with a permanent disability, due to combat wounds, as a Lt. Colonel. John used the GI Bill to complete a Masters Degree in Education from West Chester University and was a doctoral candidate at CU Boulder.
While stationed in DePere, WI as an ROTC instructor at St. Norbert College, John met JoAnne DuPont of Green Bay, WI. They married in 1958, were married for 25 years and went on to have 8 children together.
John was a devout Catholic and a member of the Knights of Columbus. He was a parishioner at St. John of the Cross Catholic Church in Vero Beach. He was very involved in community work. He supervised an annual food and clothing drive for Native Americans in South Dakota, drove for Meals on Wheels and volunteered at Boulder Manor Health Care Center in Boulder, CO. These are just a few of the many community service projects he was involved with. He was also very active in the Pro-Life movement and volunteered at Birthright. He received many awards for his charitable work over the years including The Annual Archbishops Award for Service.
He had a great love of golf and had about a 10 handicap despite his shattered right arm. He played golf all over the world and all over the United States. Arnold Palmer was his favorite golfer.
John was quite the photographer. He fell in love with black and white, and color photography at the age of 12, and for over 80 years, honed his craft and won many awards. He participated in many photography shows in the Southwest, Colorado and New England, where he sold many of his masterpieces. He had his work published in national magazines and received numerous awards for his work in black and white and color.
After retiring from the Army, he held several positions teaching Photography and Education Media at Immaculata College, West Chester University and Regis University as well as a variety of other positions in education and industry. Last, but certainly not least, he was the father of eight children.
In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his ex-wife JoAnne Morgan of Bloomington, IN in 2015 and his sister, Joan Jandzen of Vero Beach, FL in 2024.
Survivors include his children: Teresa Schafer (William) of Morgantown, WV; Sean Morgan of Oceanside, CA; Timothy Morgan of Port Orchard, WA; Kathleen Baumann of Broken Arrow, OK; Patrick Morgan of Denver, CO; Margery Sayward (Michael) of Bloomington, IN; Eileen Bittle (John) of Mound, MN; Denis Morgan of Littleton, CO; Brother, James Morgan of Marblehead, MA; Grandchildren: Joseph Baumann (Corey) of Texarkana, AR; Amy Gilbert (Jamie) of Broken Arrow, OK; Erin Dean (Tristan) of Denver, CO; Lindsey Schafer of Morgantown, WV; Evan Bittle of Wayzata, MN; Robert Bittle of Mound, MN; Michael Sayward, Jr. of Bloomington, IN and 5 great grandchildren.
A Funeral Mass will be held at St. John of the Cross Catholic Church in Vero Beach, FL on Thursday, January 30, 2025 at 10:00 am. A private burial with full military honors will be held at Cape Canaveral National Cemetery in Mims, Florida.
If you wish to make memorial contributions in John's honor, please make them to Salesian Missions, 2 Lefevre Lane, PO Box 30, New Rochelle, NY 10802-0030.