Kelly Jon Morris

Kelly Jon Morris, of Beltsville, Md., passed away suddenly on Jan. 22, 2025, a few days after his 79th birthday, at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Md., following a lengthy illness. Kelly was the son of the late Lindsey Franklin Morris and Lois Michael Morris, both originally from West Union, Doddridge County, W.Va. A 1968 graduate of Duke University, where he was chairman of the men’s judicial board, Kelly was beloved by his many friends from years of service with the Peace Corps and the World Council of Credit Unions, focused on Togo and sub-Saharan Africa. He was preceded in death by his son, Diego Kwami Morris, who cared for his disabled father for 10 years before his death at age 36 in 2021 after a short illness, and by his brother, Patrick Lynn Morris of Lively, Md. He was the father of Sandra Morris and Manuella Morris, both of Madison, Wis., three granddaughters, and two great-grandchildren. Other survivors include a niece, Nancy Morris Baublitz, and her five children; a first cousin, Nancy Sutton Thomas; and other cousins, including Steve Smith of West Union. A memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in Kelly’s memory can be made to the Friends of Togo, P.O. Box 533, Portage, WI 53901, by PayPal at friendsoftogo@yahoo.com, or by Venmo at @Supermart. In recent years, Kelly accepted Islam as a faith and requested to meet his lord with that faith and be buried according to the Islamic tradition. Burial was on Feb. 1 at the family cemetery in Oxford, Doddridge County, and funeral arrangements were managed by Davis Funeral Home and Onsite Crematory in Clarksburg, W.Va.

Online condolences may be made at www.DavisFuneralHomeWestUnionWV.com. 

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