Lewis Bahr Morrow

June 19, 1934 - November 28, 2023

Lew Morrow passed away peacefully at his residence with family at his side after a life well lived.

The eldest of two sons born to Methodist parents in Endicott, NY, during the Great Depression, Lew was proud of attaining Eagle Scout during his youth and later enjoyed reciting the Scout Law to his children – “ a scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent” – all values he lived by and embodied.

Lew met the love of his life, Beneth Brigham, when she was advanced one grade into his class in middle school. Initially competitors, and subsequently lifelong friends and partners, they inspired each other, and later their children, to academic excellence.

Lew attended college at Ohio Wesleyan. After graduation, Lew and Beneth were married before he started medical school at the University of Rochester.

He then went on to Yale for his residency in Internal Medicine and fellowship in Endocrinology.

Beneth and Lew had their first born son Craig, in 1961, in New Haven, Connecticut. The growing family spent two years in Hiroshima, Japan, where Lew worked in the U.S. Public Health Service performing endocrinology research at the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission.

Their second son Gib was born, in 1963, in Hiroshima, before the family returned to Yale, where their daughter Tracey was born, in 1966.

Lew dedicated his career to practicing and teaching medicine, advancing through the academic ranks to serve as associate then full professor, department chair, and clinical dean for academic affairs at healthcare institutions including Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, the University of Rochester, the Medical College of Ohio in Toledo, and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. His commitment to travel and global health took the family on year-long sabbaticals to Cairo, Egypt, Harare, Zimbabwe, and Jedda, Saudi Arabia, in addition to Hiroshima, Japan.

Lew’s genuine kindness and good nature, with an ability to connect naturally and authentically with everyone he encountered, contributed to the success of his career, which he loved and navigated with such enthusiasm that both sons followed his footsteps into careers as physicians.

Lew was a natural, talented musician, playing reveille on the trumpet to get his kids up for school and guitar and folk songs around the campfire on vacations with friends and family, inspiring future generations of musicians.

His love of athletics and sports, travel and adventure, and the great outdoors were so infectious that his children and grandchildren developed these passions as well.

His humor, kindness, and unconditional love were integral and authentic, persisting in magical ways even as his memory faded and mind deteriorated. The outpouring of love and support from around the planet upon his passing shows the extent of his monolithic influence and his ability to continue healing even after his death.

Lew is preceded in death by his parents, Genevieve and Paul Morrow, and his son Craig Morrow.

He is survived by his wife of sixty-seven years, Beneth Morrow, brother Tom Morrow and wife Judy, son Gib Morrow and wife Amy Kraham (grandchildren Ali and Nicola), daughter Tracey and husband Scott Gentleman, daughter-in-law Sherri (grandchildren Bella and Jack), as well as countless friends, “family by choice,” and others who knew and loved him.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the employee appreciation fund at Skyline Seattle or the Craig B. Morrow scholarship fund at UNLV are gratefully received.