James "Jim" W Morris III

James (“Jim,” or “Jimmy” to his brothers) was born February 6, 1948, in Austin, Texas, to James Walter Morris Jr. and Jeanne McLean Morris. He attended St. Edward’s High School and the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism (his older daughter, Joy, later attended the University of Oklahoma for journalism, but her dad held no grudges).

After interning at The Daily Oklahoman newspaper in Oklahoma City on the copy desk – he often excitedly bragged that he had the power to “stop the presses” – Jim was hired as a reporter. He also worked in public relations and advertising before earning a law degree from Oklahoma City University, where he served on the Law Review. Jim practiced law at several firms in Oklahoma City but spent most of his career as an attorney for the State of Texas Office of the Attorney General. Jim retired from the OAG in 2013 having ruled on more than 7,000 open-records cases (his standard sign-off: “See note”).

Jim’s interests and hobbies were many, most notably his love for the University of Texas Longhorns – his satin burnt-orange UT jacket was a wardrobe staple. The son of a World War II Navy veteran, Jim was an avid reader of books on war history and, in his retirement years, enjoyed volunteering at the Texas Military Forces Museum. Indeed, he enjoyed reading on many topics, particularly history, sports, and religion, and often worked “What are you reading?” into conversations. Jim was also a dedicated member of St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Austin.

Jim was a lifelong learner, a dedicated state employee, a proud parent and grandparent, and a committed Christian. His calm and thoughtful presence will be missed.

James Walter Morris III is predeceased by his parents, James Walter Morris Jr. and Jeanne McLean Morris.

Jim is survived by his brothers, John Morris, of Fort Worth, and Joe Bill Morris, of Austin; daughters Joy (Morris) Jenkins of Columbia, Missouri, and Carrie (Morris) DeFeo of Austin; grandchildren Quinn, Ivy, and Enzo DeFeo; and nephew Christopher Morris of Fort Worth and niece Courtney (Morris) Allison of Denver, Colorado, along with various cousins.

A memorial service will be held at Assumption Cemetery, located at 3650 S. I-35 Frontage Road, Austin, Texas, at 11 a.m. Friday, October 16.

In Lieu of Flowers memorial donations can be made to the Texas Military Forces Museum.

https://texasmilitaryforceshistoricalfoundation.org/ways-to-give.html