John Morgan

John Patrick Morgan, aged 72, of Appleton, passed away on September 30th after a lengthy illness.

John, often called “J.P.” or “Johnny,” was born on December 16th, 1953 to Clarence and Catherine Morgan in Neenah, Wisconsin. John grew up on Frederick Street in Menasha with his folks, older sisters Kay, Gail, and Sue, and older brothers Bill and Todd.

John attended schools in Menasha, forging strong, lifelong friendships along the way, as was his nature. He landed his first official job at the Dairy Queen on Commercial Street in Neenah in 1968, a position he recently called "the greatest job ever!" From there, John's career took a diversified path: from DQ to summers at Akrosil, to selling shoes and insurance, and even a stint with the FBI in Washington, D.C. He moved back to the Fox Valley in 1975 and went on to work at Liebers Home Center and Kimberly-Clark before finding his stride at Ameritel/Alta-Resources — where he also found time to earn his Bachelor's degree from Marian University, graduating magna cum laude in 1996. He finished his career as the top salesperson at Midwest Specialty Products. John always called himself a "Sales Guy," and he relished the competitiveness, the joy, and the reward of closing the sale.

John was a true Renaissance Man. He was at ease discussing any subject - from baseball to wine, as well as always keeping his ears open for something new to discover and discuss with others. Music was a life-long passion for John, as he’d estimated he’d seen a minimum of 200 concerts over the years, and enjoyed playing guitar in his spare time. Golf was also a passion, as he enjoyed both playing the game and volunteering at the US Open at Whistling Straits for many years. John was an avid traveller, whether it be for work or vacation. This took him all over the country and beyond, with a clear nod to San Francisco being his favorite.

John was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Catherine Morgan, sisters Gail and Sue, and brothers Bill and Todd.

John is survived by the love of his life Judy, his wife of 39 years. He is further survived by his sister, Kay, daughter, Kristin (Andy) Sewall, and two sons, Grady Olson and Joel Morgan, beloved grandchildren Brendan, Vincent, Tyson, Gwen, Makenna, and Payton., numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. As well as his lifelong friends Dan Pawlowski, David Peat, Pat Garrigan, Dan Sawall, John Kokke, and countless others.

John's family would like to express their extreme gratitude for the staff on the 8th floor of ThedaCare Regional Medical Center of Appleton - especially Dacia Hermes from Palliative Care and RN Keisha - the excellence shown in your chosen profession did not go unnoticed.

A service will be held at Westgor Funeral Home in Menasha, 1140 Appleton Rd., Menasha, WI 54952, on Tuesday, October 20, at 11:00 AM. A visitation will be held from 10:00AM until the time of service. A lunch will follow the service from 12:00 PM-3:00 PM at the Hilton Appleton Paper Valley Hotel, 333 W College Ave, Appleton, WI 54911.