Mary Jane Morgan

Oct. 21, 1930 – Nov. 19, 2014

An angel earned her wings this week. Mary Jane Morgan transitioned from earthly to heavenly angel at sunrise on November 19, 2014. Born in Spokane on October 21, 1930 to Bill and Ruth Donaldson, Mary Jane was a life-long Pacific Northwesterner and middle sister to Margaret Jean (Swoboda) and Marilyn Jesse (Serio). She was a scholar athlete at The Madeline High School in Portland until it closed and graduated from St. Mary’s Academy in 1948.

She married a US Marine Corps Corporal veteran and Portland Police Sergeant (Ret.), Gordon W. Morgan in 1951. She spent the rest of her life being the loving mother and #1 fan of their six children (and their spouses)—Bill (and LaVonne), Mike (and Nancy Babka), Ricky, Dan, Pat (and Kindra), and Colleen—and devout grandmother to her eight grandchildren—Jeff, Willie, Amanda, Rachel, Elijah, Christian, Joey, and Isaiah; and two great granddaughters (Natalie, McKenna).

While raising her family with Gordon, she was a working mom; starting off as an entrepreneur and small business owner, moving to St. Vincent’s Hospital, and ending her career as a testing and evaluation specialist with Portland Public Schools and Multnomah County Educational Service District. When she wasn’t working or attending her children’s, nephew’s, cousin’s, or grandchildren’s sporting events or dance/music recitals, she was fixing their computers, texting with them, or volunteering for the Footprint Association, Portland Police Athletic Association, the national and Oregon Chapter of the First Marine Division Association, and the national and Pacific NW Chapter of the Guadalcanal Veterans Campaign.

Across Portland and as she and Gordon traveled the country—on camping excursions with the kids or volunteering for their Marine Corps volunteer duties—Mary Jane always had a warm smile on her face, a sunny twinkle in her eyes, an equanimous disposition, an extra dollar to give, shelter to provide, and a generous heart to share with any and all in need. She was blessed to add hundreds of surrogate kids and grandkids during her journey. Her strong and sweet inner spirit lives on in all of her blood and surrogate family members. She had a wonderful life—filled with love of God, family, friends, animals, baseball, basketball, nature, camping, fishing, gardening, reading, and pizza.

A funeral Mass will be held at 11:00 am, Monday, November 24th (with viewing at 9:30) at Christ the King Catholic Church in Milwaukie and burial service at 1:30 pm on Friday, November 28th at Willamette National Cemetery. Remembrances may be made to La Salle Catholic College Preparatory (Class of ’79 or Bill George Scholarship Fund) or by becoming a member of the Guadalcanal Veterans Campaign.

Arrangements under the direction of Caldwell's, Hennessey, Goetsch & McGee Funeral Home, Portland, OR.