Dale Russell Morgan

Dale Russell “Rusty” Morgan, of Virginia Beach, returned to the Lord on February 22, 2025. Born in Winfield, KS to the late Bobby Gene Morgan and Betty Lorraine Gurney. He, alongside his multiple brothers and sisters, would spend his formative years there, raising a special kind of hell, in a way only he could conjure.

Over the years, he found himself in several professions, including serving an enlistment in the Kansas National Guard. He would eventually find his passion as a tree surgeon, climbing for over 30 years. Like that floating feather at the beginning of the film Forrest Gump, the winds of fate would take him from the Midwest to the East Coast. While in South Carolina, he would come to know a single mother, Boni Cochrane of Danbury, CT, who, over the next four decades, would become the love of his life – his reason for being. While some would say that it was amazing that he would live that long, much less stay with the same woman, others (namely, his son-in-law Jesse) would call it one of God’s most amazing works that nobody saw coming.

He would eventually move several times along the East Coast, and in 2009, would move to Virginia with Boni to be closer to his daughter Danielle and son-in-law Jesse, where they would eventually settle in Virginia Beach.

He held many passions over the years. He absolutely loved music, picking guitar for decades, often bringing home the occasional stray or orphaned six string. Though he loved picking the strings, he was never shy about stepping out of his comfort zone to learn a new instrument – those things tended to find their way home with him too. Besides music, his other interests included woodworking, fishing, and toting Darren around, devising new ways to gleefully antagonize him with subtle passive-aggressive annoyances as an indirect way of bonding with him. He also showed a keen interest in the Wild West, especially those things associated with his Cherokee heritage and anything John Wayne.

He is preceded in death by his great grandson Princeton Jesse Mouse, brothers Robert J. Kepford, Kerry W. Kepford and, sister Victoria L. Allison and aforementioned love of his life, Boni Cochrane.

Left to cherish the memory of his shenanigans and love are his brothers and sisters,Karen Diane Jones, Timmy Lee Kepford, Debra Jean Blackford, Tony Allen Morgan, Tammy Renea' Thomas, and

Tina Louise Nash; his son, Darren Goslee; daughter, Danielle Espe and her husband Jesse Espe (favorite son-in-law); grandson Joshua Espe; and granddaughter, Jordan Espe; daughter, Kristy Louise Morgan and her husband Mathew Brock; grandson Chance Scott Brock, grandson Chace Lars Brock, grandson Chad Mathew Brock, grandson Dakota Swain Brock; daughter Katie Lou Morgan and her husband Jason Mouse; granddaughter Katelyn Louise Mouse, granddaughter Kaylyn Marie Mouse; great grandchildren:

Zachary Scott Brock, Adalyn Marie Brock, Hudson Wade Brock, Wade Brock, Kashton James Leonard Mouse, Raylyn Lee Mouse-West, and Luca Mouse- Green.

Earth is a lot less bright and a lot less funny with him leaving. We’re all just grateful for having him in our lives for the time that he was. The good news – he’s God’s and Boni’s problem now. We love you.