A. Glenn Morton III

Funeral services for A. Glenn Morton, III, age 69, of Tyler will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, February 24th in the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church, Tyler. Services will be conducted by Dr. Stuart G. Baskin under the direction of Lloyd James Funeral Home, Tyler. Burial will follow in the Danville Cemetery, Kilgore, with the Rev. David O’Neal officiating. Visitation will be held on Tuesday evening, February 23rd, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at Lloyd James Funeral Home.

Glenn died peacefully at home, surrounded by his family, on February 20, 2010 after a gallant 17-month battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). Always kind-hearted and giving, his outlook was positive and inspirational to all despite the fact he was given no hope for a cure.

Glenn, a sixth generation Texan from an East Texas pioneer family, was born on July 29, 1940, in Kilgore to A.G. Morton, Jr. and wife, Margie Collins Morton. His early childhood was spent in Memphis, TN and San Diego, CA while his father served in the F.B.I. during World War II. In 1948 the family returned to live in Kilgore where Glenn entered third grade. Graduating from Kilgore High School in 1958, he proudly attended Texas A&M College where he made life-long Aggie friends who rallied to his side during his final illness and will stand at Muster to answer the roll call for Glenn, Class of 1962.

After graduation Glenn received a commission in the U.S. Army as an artillery officer and commanded an Airborne Battery in the Texas National Guard. With a degree in Marketing he spent a successful 42 year career in the life insurance business, retiring as Chief Marketing Officer of a Met Life Company before launching a second career as owner of an independent marketing organization, Barclay Agency of Hawkins and Tyler. Glenn was a Certified Life Underwriter and a member of the Million Dollar Roundtable. He also served as a LIMRA board member and enjoyed a relationship with a network of over 2000 independent life insurance agents coast to coast. Trust, integrity and respect were hallmarks of his business dealings throughout his life.

Glenn was a member of First Presbyterian Church, Tyler where he served as an Elder and Trustee and participated in the Emerald Bay Men’s Bible Study. He also felt privileged to serve on occasion as a lay minister of the First Presbyterian Church of Rusk. Glenn had a strong sense of duty to God, to his country, and to his family. An avid student of Civil War Confederate history, he enjoyed hunting and spending time outdoors.

Glenn was preceded in death by his father, A.G. Morton, Jr. and younger brother, Charles Richard Morton. He is survived by his wife of 31 years, Geraldine “Dean” Morton; his daughter, Amy Katherine Morton and her husband, John Virgadamo, of Fort Drum, New York; his stepchildren, Kristi Smith Francis and husband, Bill Francis of Dallas; Melinda Smith Butcher and husband, Jerry Butcher, of Doylestown, Ohio; Brett Smith and wife, Sandra Smith, of Brenham. He is also survived by his mother, Margie Collins Morton of Kilgore; his sister, Sally Morton Beane and husband, Mike Beane, of Kilgore; nephew, Rick Morton, of McKinney; and nieces, Jennifer Morton, of Garland; Jamie Beane Soper and husband, Steve Soper, of San Francisco, California; and Brooke Beane of Los Angeles, California.

He is cherished by seven surviving grandchildren who think their “Old Grand-Dad” was the best grandfather in the world. They are Rebekah, Sarah, Hannah, and Ryan Butcher; Taylor and Hudson Smith, and Katherine Francis. His legacy will live on in their lives made all the richer for what he taught them about the things he loved.

Pallbearers will be Don Magruder, Wayne Babin, Bill Conway, Warren Conway, Tom Caldwell, Lane Spears, Bill McEvoy, and Greg Schlatter.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services, 4407 Bee Cave Road, Suite 520, Austin, Texas 78746; First Presbyterian Church Sustaining Gift Fund, 230 West Rusk Street, Tyler, Texas 75701; or Hospice of East Texas, 4111 University Blvd., Tyler, Texas 75701.