John Denver Morgan

John Denver (Jack) Morgan, a forty year resident of Topeka Kansas, died peacefully on October 21st after a long illness.

As the eldest child of Ida Frances and Denver Lewis Morgan, Jack was born in Charleston, West Virginia on April 26, 1939. He is survived by his wife Carole Zehnpfennig Morgan (m. 1984), a sister, Mary Beth Morgan Hughes of Wheeling, West Virginia, a brother Frederick Hulver Morgan of Easton, Maryland, stepdaughter Nicole, two grandchildren, Ashleigh Allam and Austin Bailey, and several sisters-in-law, a brother-in-law, nieces and nephews. Jack was earlier married to Susan Morgan; they had no children together.

Jack attended Charleston High School and graduated from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia in 1961 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He began his career with the McJunkin Corporation in Charleston, West Virginia, continuing to the New York/New Jersey area, Florida, and Cleveland, Ohio. In later years he worked for Winnelson and Reeves Weideman in Topeka in industrial and plumbing supplies.

Jack was known to friends and neighbors as an upbeat helpful person with an appreciation for people and life experiences. Jack appreciated his membership in the Mankind Project and the lifelong friends he made there.

One of his greatest enjoyments was sailing. He and Carole they took time off from their advanced careers, purchased a sail boat and spent 18 months sailing the Chesapeake Bay, the Atlantic coast, the St. John’s River in Florida and the Gulf coast.

After sailing, Jack and Carole purchased a motor home and travelled for the better part of 16 years enjoying all the National Parks in the continental U.S. and the history and scenery of their stops along the way from coast to coast. They spent the past 16 winters at their home at Victoria Palms in Donna, Texas.

Jack will be missed by friends and family. There will be no funeral with a private burial in Parkston, South Dakota. Carole thanks everyone for your concern and care over the past several months.