This beautiful, but challenging and often inexplicable world lost one of its much needed good guys on Saturday, September 18, 2021. A fierce competitor in many arenas, cancer proved too strong and cruel of an opponent. Joe lost his six year battle quietly and bravely; reflective of his approach to life in general.
Joseph Littleton Morrow was born on November 17, 1966 in San Francisco to Joe and Demetra, a government appraiser and secretary, respectively. The Morrows moved “Joey” and younger sister, Helen to Knoxville, Tennessee when young Joe was five. Joe attended Cedar Bluff Elementary, Webb Middle School and Bearden High School where he played “The Big 3” sports for the Bulldogs, lettering in basketball and baseball multiple times and was voted “Most Athletic” in his senior class. Joe then became a Tennessee Volunteer where he was a proud member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. Joe majored in Finance and graduated with honors but continued to be a truly focused student of all things athletic, attending the Vol’s games, and joyfully representing first his fraternity and later the “Wild Turkeys” in the intramural league in any and all types of sport. Joe also enjoyed serving up a cold draft beer on the nights he worked at Quarters Bar off the Strip and was partial to playing his “mixed tapes” featuring Kiss, Peter Frampton and many other popular College Rock sing-alongs for all to enjoy.
In 1989, Joe just missed out on a summer internship with the Chicago Stock Exchange which, he would go on to say, “was the only lucky loss of his life”. Instead, Joe traveled with a few close buddies out west where he met the two greatest loves of his life: Jeanie and Yellowstone National Park. Joe and Jeanie were wed two years later and went on to have a most successful thirty year marriage.
Like his father, Joe worked all his adult life as a real estate appraiser. He ran his own company and proudly provided for his family. A humble man, Joe would say his children, sons Will (24), John (21) and Ben (12) were his greatest achievements. Joe happily gave up his weekly tennis matches and fly fishing weekends to help coach his sons who, just like their dad, felt their best on a ball field or a court. Joe’s greatest memories are those spent throwing a ball at the local fields with his boys, skiing with his family and fishing with his sons, friends, and brother-in-law, Munsey. His ideal locations to do all things outdoors were Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks but the Smokys were always there to lovingly embrace Joe and his beloved small circle of family and friends.
Joe leaves behind his mother Demetra, sister Helen, her husband Chris Ruberg and their daughters, Tess and Lucy both of whom he was very proud. Joe also leaves his in- laws, Munsey and Jean Wheby to whom Joe was a cherished and loved son-in-law who always brought a calm word of reason to the loud and rambunctious Wheby clan. He leaves his brother and sister-in-law, Munsey and Katherine Wheby, his nieces, Campbell and Margaret who often shared they hoped to meet a boy “just like Uncle Joe” and his sister and brother-in-law Rose and Ralph Hollinshead and their sons Stephen and Henry who Joe loved and admired very much.
His own little family, Jeanie, Will, John and Ben will feel Joe’s loss tremendously, miss him terribly, but speak of him often with nothing but love and fondness as he was a committed and generous husband, selfless and devoted father, loving son and kind and patient brother.
Joe set a great example of determination and humiliation and exhibited a strong work ethic to which his entire extended family marveled and his children can only hope to aspire. Joe will join his father in the great beyond where they will, no doubt, continue into perpetuity their debate about Tennessee and Alabama athletics as theirs was truly a house divided.
Family funeral and burial to be officiated by Joe’s dear friend, Reverend Drew Prince. In lieu of flowers please make donations to the Joe Morrow Memorial Fund at Knox Youth Sports, 5908 Lyons View Pike Knoxville, TN 37919. These gifts will be used at the Link- House Fields where Joe loved watching his boys play Vance League baseball.
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