John (Jack) Morgan

John (Jack) Patrick Morgan, 102, passed away unexpectedly February 2, 2024. Services were held February 10 at Sunset Memorial Funeral Home in Missoula, MT. Condolences and memorials may be sent to Sunset Memorial Funeral Home at 7405 Mullan Road, Missoula, MT 59808.

John was born May 23, 1921 to Francis B. And Anna (Bakewell) Morgan in New Albin. He was the second youngest of eight children that included his brothers, Lawrence, Jim, Earl and Daniel, and his sisters, Kathleen, Peggy and Marietta.

John attended the Morgan country school, also known as Sandbank school. He spent his youth working on the family farm. John traveled out west to work in Oregon at age 16. He then went to California to work in an aircraft manufacturing facility.

During WWII he enlisted in the Coast Guard doing shore patrol at Long Island. He then moved to LST 23 in the Pacific Ocean where he was a pharmacist mate.

After the war he flew as a purser for Pan Am where he traveled the world, from Miami down to South America, across the Atlantic to French West Africa, Dakar to the Middle East, and on to what was British India. He then changed to flights traveling from New York to London and Paris, France.

He then went to work on the first American cruise ship SS UNITED STATES. After that he returned to Iowa and purchased a tavern in Charles City. February 4, 1961 he married Darlene A. Zweck, his wife of over 50 years. July 27, 1964 they had a beautiful daughter, Kathleen A. Morgan.

He ran Morgan’s Tavern for 25 years, retiring at age 57 to enjoy hunting and fishing. He also loved duck hunting with his favorite lab retrievers named Spook and Major. He and his wife, Darlene, then moved out west to live near his daughter in Missoula, MT, spending many years enjoying time with his granddaughter and fishing with his family.

John had three great-grandchildren, Ava, Cooper and Gage, that he loved to vacation with and spent many hours sitting by a campfire enjoying time with them. Staying independent until age 94, he spent his last years living with his daughter until he passed at the age of 102.

John P. Morgan is survived by his daughter, Kathleen A. Morgan, and her husband, Laurien Riehl; a granddaughter and her spouse, Danielle and Brian Baumgartner; his great-grandchildren, Ava, Cooper and Gage; and many nieces and nephews that he loved and spoke very highly of throughout the years.

John and Darlene were devout Catholics and he was a life member of the Knights of Columbus. John was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend to everyone he knew. He will be greatly missed.