Jon Michael (Mike) Morris

Mike began his life in Georgia when he was born in Cedartown before moving to Dalton (both towns preferably pronounced with a thick southern drawl). After graduating Georgia Tech with a degree in industrial engineering, Mike began a prolific career in development, beginning, but not ending, in Atlanta.

It was here where he met “his bride”, as he always called her, Holli when they both worked with Post Properties. They began dating, and as they both would simply put it, “they just balanced each other”. Soon after they married, they made their way to Tampa to begin a journey of more than 35 years building a community of dedicated friends and family. His generosity, wisdom, humor and gregarious personality attracted many friends and fans. He was quick with a joke; some more successful than others, but always readily available. He loved his family more than anything, something he always considered a gift he found later in life. He had a special fondness for dogs, but none stole his heart more than his grand-dog, Scout, with whom he shared a very special bond.There were few things he enjoyed more than a great meal with friends, never complete without a well-paired bottle of wine.

Mike was born into an era where grammar was respected, men didn’t curse in front of women, and one never wore a hat indoors, habits that he never shook and encouraged others to follow. Indeed one of the last messages he sent to his wife was a reminder that we must not end a sentence in a preposition! Perhaps it was this deep rooted sense of tradition that gave him such a fondness for handcrafted wares from an old and historic, usually British, purveyor of goods (bonus points if they aided in WWII efforts!). He was loyal to Geo F. Trumper razors, Mason Pearson brushes, and his Patek Phillipe watch. He loved knowing that care was put into the items he procured and he reciprocated in kind by putting care into each house he built, down to the relationships he formed with his clients. Drive around South Tampa and you’ll be hard pressed to find a neighborhood without one of the more than 450 houses Mike influenced via his company Bayfair Properties. And you’ll likely find a corresponding 450 satisfied customers, many of whom he also called friends. Because you just couldn’t help but love Mike and want to stay in his life. His imprint on the Tampa Bay Area is both vast and significant. Known for classic architecture and fine attention to detail, a Bayfair home is instantly recognizable to many. As was his nature, quality came before all else for Mike, and it is because of this that his legacy will live on in the architecture of this city for decades to come.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Norma Madge Fulmer, and his father, Jesse Seals Morris. He is survived by his beloved wife of 37 years Holli, his daughters Maggie Morris Shahnasarian (Eddy Shahnasarian) and Emery Morris, his son John (Jack) Michael Morris Jr., his sister Merrill Morris, and four extremely devoted grandchildren: Michael (8), Hailey (6), Ellie (4), and Teddy Shahnasarian (2), all of whom will miss Gran Gran dearly. Care has been taken to use proper grammar and, of course, avoid ending any sentence in a preposition.

Services will be held at Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church on Wednesday, May 21st at 2PM with a reception to follow at 3PM at Palma Ceia Golf & Country Club. In Lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in his name to Metropolitan Ministries, Habitat for Humanity, or any organization that makes you think of Mike.