William Jenkins Morris

The family of Bill Morris will celebrate his life of 82 years at 10:00 A.M. on Saturday, March 19, 2022, at Lake Ridge Chapel and Memorial Designers.  He passed on Monday, March 14, 2022.  We invite you to view the live-streamed service on this page, sign his virtual guestbook and download his memorial keepsake folder to your device for printing.William J. “Bill” Morris was born Feb. 3, 1940, in Denver City, Texas. He lived in several locations as a child and spent his formative years in Van Horn, Texas, where he made lifelong friends. In recent years, he has been best known as Papaw Morris to 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.Bill joined the U.S. Air Force in August 1957, finishing his high school education by correspondence. He volunteered to learn electronics and was trained at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois before being transferred to Taiwan. He was an airplane radio repairman, which fit well with his love of fixing and building things. After receiving an honorable discharge at the rank of Airman First Class in 1961, Bill joined Xerox as a service technician. During his 34-year career, he received many honors, including trips to Spain and Mexico, and after retiring he ran his own company selling and distributing cabinet hardware for 15 years.Bill met his lovely wife Oleta through one of Bill’s sisters, and they married on October 19, 1962. After nearly 60 years of marriage, Oleta preceded Bill in death, passing away peacefully on his birthday, Feb. 3, 2022. Through the years, they took their children and grandchildren on many camping and travel adventures, and Bill particularly loved to teach the young children to fish and feed the animals.Bill and Oleta spent most of their lives serving others as part of their church engagement – through Golf Course Road Church of Christ in Midland, Southern Hills, Central, and Hillcrest Churches of Christ in Abilene, and First Colony Church of Christ in Sugar Land.For many years, they regularly invited college students into their homes, feeding them and hosting all-night game nights. Their warm hospitality allowed many of those college students to make connections for life – including several happily married couples.All through his life, Bill loved gardening and yardwork, woodworking, and adopting all the neighborhood cats, raccoons, and even skunks! His laugh was contagious, and his interesting life stories made his family smile. He was the designated maker of fruit salad for “Sunday suppers” and had a sweet tooth that led him to sneak many a grandchild an extra dessert.Bill was preceded in death by his beloved wife Oleta, his brother Max Morris and his sister Gloria Bettis.He is survived by his sisters Joyce Lawing, Jean Brown and Shirley Stroebele; his children Ric and Michelle Morris and Karen and Gregg Greer; grandchildren Sara and Jon McPherson, Corinne and Payton Giacomarro, Brandon Greer, Nikki and Tylan Jones, Jess Greer, CE Greer, and Daniel Greer; and great-grandchildren Asher McPherson, Mason Jones and the Giacomarro twins arriving in May.