David Trogdon MORTON

1949 - 2023

David Trogdon Morton died February 24, 2023, at his home in Spokane in the presence of his wife, children, and sister after an eleven-year battle with cancer.

His advice in his final days, surrounded by his loved ones, was that life is better when you're nice to people. For David, there was no higher pinnacle than kindness for others and passion for life. From his 30-year career as a podiatrist serving Spokane, to his hobbies ranging from surfing and sailing to skiing and biking, from refinishing wood floors to golfing to hacking his 1976 Apollo boat to keep it running for 30 years, to making tortellini with his wife, he was heartfelt and joyful.

David wasn't a religious man, but he believed in the god of the mountains–downhill and cross-country skiing being two of his oldest passions. With Leslie, his wife of 40 years, he loved to backpack and camp, to ski and hike. Together, they loved to take the boat out late at night and drift below the stars. He and Leslie enjoyed hosting dinner parties and cooking. He loved to tell stories and laugh, play board games, and watch movies with his family. He never missed one of his children's sporting events or recitals, he volunteered in their elementary classrooms and was even the president of the Spokane Montessori Parents Group when his children were young. He loved to sail on Lake Coeur d'Alene, with his dog, Ranger, curled peacefully in the netting on the boat deck, sleeping in the sun.

The floor of his truck may have been strewn with sunflower seeds and golf balls and scraps of paper with lumber dimensions, but he didn't care how it looked to anyone on the outside, he was living his life. A family saying that he wasn't tidy, but he was resourceful. In his later years, he learned to sew- mainly to repair the cover of his sailboat, and he learned the ukulele which he played for his grandkids who lovingly called him "Big Dog."

David was born July 8, 1949, in Moscow, Idaho, to Dr. Richard Everett Morton and Margaret Dunn Morton. Dr. R.E. Morton was a team doctor for WSU athletics and Peg was a teacher, an active member of the Pullman community, and even hosted a radio show. David grew up in Pullman, Washington, with his sister, Carol, and his brother, William, in the idyllic days when children roamed the neighborhoods freely. The family spent the summers on Coeur d'Alene Lake in a cabin built by David's father. In high school, he was the lead singer and guitarist of the rock and roll band, "The Scepters," and he had great memories playing shows with his friends.

David graduated from the University of Washington in 1971 with a degree in Communications. After graduation, he took some time off, hopped on his motorcycle, and moved to southern California where he adopted a vegetarian lifestyle, jogged eight miles a day, and learned how to surf. It was during his days as a runner, after developing a foot injury, that he first became interested in the field of podiatry. He attended the University of Southern California and graduated from the California College of Podiatric Medicine in 1982. He completed his residency in San Francisco and Sacramento.

In 1982, he married Leslie Power, in Canajoharie, New York. Leslie and David settled in Spokane, Washington where he opened a private practice, and she worked as a speech pathologist. David practiced in Spokane, Colville, and Pullman and at Wellpinit Health Services and later, spent 20 years at Spokane's VA hospital until he retired in 2014.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother William J. Morton, and his uncles, Donald Dunn, George W. Dunn, and Harvey Dunn.

He is survived by his wife Leslie Power, daughter Kelly Morton (Greg Crossman), son Kristopher Morton (Emily Hazen), sister Carol Morton Faw, sister-in-law Nancy Power, niece Riley Power, and four grandchildren Arthur and Leo Crossman, Eleanor and Madelyn Morton.

A celebration of life will be held at the Praeger Ranch in Worley, Idaho, at 2:00 pm on June 25, 2023. Hawaiian shirts are encouraged.

Contributions to Dr. Richard E. Morton Pre-Medicine Scholarship can be made in David's name. https://foundation.wsu.edu/give/?fund=72bf924c-1932-44f0-8de7-c6315a4833a8&cat=idonate _colleges&area=idonate_arts_and_sciences&utm_campaign=dr-richard-e-morton-pre-medicine-scholarship