John B. Morgan

John Black Morgan, 43-year resident of Deer Park, New York, passed away at the age of 87 on May 25, 2025 at Huntington Hospital. For the last two years of his life he resided at Sunrise Senior Living in Huntington Station. He was born on May 1, 1938 in Norfolk, Virginia, where he was raised, to John Black Morgan, Jr. and Mildred Mae Morgan (née Brinkley).

John attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor from 1956 to 1962, and received a Bachelor of Arts as well as a Master of Arts degree in music from that illustrious institution. As a student he was a clarinetist in the Michigan Marching Band during the tenure of its most famous conductor, William D. Revelli, the achievement he was proudest of throughout his life, and also played in the ONCE festivals held in Ann Arbor, which broke new ground in avant-garde music. At ONCE he performed pieces by his lifelong friend, the composer Donald Scavarda.

It was during John's time in Ann Arbor that he became an eternally fanatical Michigan Wolverines devotee (fan isn’t a strong enough word), making pilgrimages to Michigan Stadium almost every season for the rest of his life. He likewise strongly supported the University of Michigan’s Alumni Association, spending many hours as a recruiting volunteer, and served as the first President of the Association’s Long Island chapter. He also established a scholarship at the University’s School of Music which continues to be awarded annually.

After initially working as a high school band director in Ohio and upstate New York, John made his way to Wall Street by the late 1970s, where he was to work in various capacities in the world of finance for the remainder of his career. Starting out as a stock broker, he earned an MBA from Adelphi University in 1982 and a JD from William Howard Taft University in 1990, as well as an MS from the Washington School of Law in 1997. He was a member of the State Bar of California from 1990. He served as an attorney and as a compliance director for many firms, including Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers, Probursa, Asiel & Co., Mabon, Numis, Tradition Asiel, and others. He continued working tirelessly in some capacity until the end of 2024.

Besides his love of the University of Michigan, John adored opera (about which he had a scholar’s level of knowledge) and classical music, and was a season ticket holder at, as well as a donor to, the Metropolitan Opera in New York City for nearly half a century. He also enjoyed vacationing in Europe, and made frequent visits to Italy. After converting and becoming a devout Catholic as an adult, he attended Ss. Cyril and Methodius Roman Catholic Church in Deer Park weekly for over 30 years, where he sang in its choir. Additionally, he was a member of the Knights of Columbus.

John took his family, work, religious, and volunteer responsibilities very seriously, and commitment to duty remained at the center of his life right up to his final days. He will be remembered as a man who labored hard to ensure that the people and institutions he loved would enjoy as much support as he could provide.

John is survived by his wife Mary Ann Morgan (née Theil), to whom he was married for 55 years, as well as sons John Black Morgan IV and Kevin Maguire, daughter Heather Hauser, son-in-law David Hauser, granddaughter Rachel Nozny, and grandson Nathan Hauser. He also has six great-grandchildren.