Susan Gay Morrison

Susan Morrison, 67, passed away on July 11, 2025 in Austin, TX after a courageous battle with cancer. Susan was a native of San Angelo, TX; the youngest child of Eleanor and Major Herbert Morrison and was born on Valentines Day.

Susan graduated from San Angelo Central High School, University of Texas – Austin and Baylor School of Law. While still a student at The University of Texas; in an era when only about 30 percent of single parents received the child support they were owed, Susan worked with lawmakers and the League of Women Voters to amend the state constitution to allow for garnishment of wages of delinquent noncustodial parents. Voters overwhelmingly approved the amendment in 1983, the same year she graduated from Baylor. Read more about how she changed the Constitution of the State of Texas or hear the story in her own voice at this link to an interview by Austin Public Radio KUT broadcast in 2019: Her Dad Didn't Pay Child Support. (https://www.kut.org/texas/2019-05-23/her-dad-didnt-pay-child-support-so-this-austin-woman-helped-change-the-texas-constitution)

Susan began her law career as an administrative law judge for the Texas Education Agency. Susan opened her own law practice and was skilled in the disciplines of school, employment and construction law as well as litigation. In 2017, she became general counsel for the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. While working, Susan was a member of numerous professional associations and held many leadership roles, including president of Texas Women Lawyers and the Travis County Women Lawyers’ Association. Ms. Morrison also served on the State Bar’s Grievance Committee for District 9, as a director of the Travis County Bar Association and among other accolades, she was named a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation.

The wider Austin community also benefited from Ms. Morrison’s dedication as she served as chair of the Travis County Fee Dispute Committee and a member of various bodies such as the City of Austin Ethics Review Commission and Mueller Airport Redevelopment Advisory Board as well as the site planning committee for HEB’s Central Market on North Lamar. A former president of the board of Communities in Schools, Susan helped fundraise and advocate for services for at-risk students. She also served as an election judge and as membership co-chair for the Austin Area Board of the League of Women Voters. Susan has been very active in the Kiwanis Club and served as membership chair.

While making all these professional and civic contributions, Susan found time to marry John King and they celebrated 20 years of marital bliss in January 2025. John came as a package as he brought his two children into the marriage. The neighbors were thrilled when shortly after the new year, the Three Kings came to live next door. Susan is preceded in death by her parents and her brother Richard. In addition to her loving husband, John, those left to mourn her passing are her sister, Nancy Carefoot (George) of Fort Worth, TX; her stepchildren Jillian of Austin, TX and Spencer (Mackenzie) of Orlando, FL; nephew Michael Morrison of Seattle, WA; niece Kelly Morrison of Portland, OR; numerous first cousins, professional associates, roommates and friends who will remember Susan for her quick wit, love of nature (especially birds, butterflies, dragonflies, honey bees and flowers) and a smile that lights up a room.

Weed-Corley-Fish Parkcrest Funeral Home in Austin is handling funeral arrangements. A celebration of life is planned August 16th at 1:00 pm at St. John United Methodist Church in Austin. St. John’s will live stream Susan’s celebration of life at this link https://www.stjohnsaustin.org/live/ . Inurnment is planned for Saturday August, 23rd at 10:00 am at Fairmont Cemetery in San Angelo, Texas. All are welcome at the graveside service in San Angelo. The family encourages everyone attending the graveside service to dress in cool, comfortable clothes.

The family wishes to thank the doctors, nurses and aides of Hospice Austin, Christopher House for the outstanding care and compassion Susan received while there. The family also wishes to acknowledge the decades long friends who performed yeoman service by coming to visit Susan nearly every day. In lieu of flowers, kindly consider a donation to Hospice Austin or Communities in Schools Central Texas.