Benjamin Ethen Morgan, born in 1928, a WWII veteran, passed away on April 26, 2020 after diagnosis of COVID-19 on April 20, 2020. Ben was 91.
Ben is survived by his wife of 70 years, Eloise Morgan of Greensboro; brothers, Barry Morgan (Linda) of Greensboro and David Morgan (Linda) of SC; son, Steve Morgan (Franki) of Greensboro; daughter, Diane Wherry (Jeff) of TX; grandson, Trevin Morgan of CA; granddaughters, Crystal Nopens of CA and Ashley Wickliffe of TX; great-grandson, Steven Shaffer of CA; great-granddaughters, Cassie Lanum of CA, Rayn Wickliffe of TX, and Blaine Wickliffe of TX; great-great-granddaughter, Olivia Shaffer of CA. Ben was preceded in death by sisters, Edna Ryan (Bob) of Greensboro, Joan Morgan (teen) and Judith Morgan (infant) both of Greensboro.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, no funeral or memorial service will be held at this time.
Ben was born, raised and settled in the same general vicinity (Sumner township) in southern Guilford County for almost all of his nearly 92 years. The exception was during his Army service years in WWII.
Ben was a mechanic by trade and farmed tobacco briefly. He was a skilled marksman and enjoyed hunting rabbits (with his scads of beagles), deer, and wild boars. He had great affinity for animals, both pets and wildlife. He was especially fond of dogs but had a plethora of other pets like squirrels, raccoons, turkeys, a deer, and a crow. Ben personally kept honey bees for many years and, in his 70s and 80s, rendered his service of removing bee colonies from properties of individuals and businesses. (He was videotaped for a news clip as the man who did not wear beekeeper attire when working with bees.) He was virtually fearless when dealing with the natural world!
Ben was a definite people-person and was well-liked among ALL ages and walks of life. He was a prankster, a yarn-spinner, a joke-teller, and had a hand grip that could bring one to his knees. He greatly valued close and extended kinfolk, including his wife’s side of relatives. He was a general jack-of-all-trades and a wealth of knowledge of plants and animals in NC nature. He enjoyed sharing his knowledge, skills, and techniques with anyone willing to learn. Ben enjoyed woodworking as another hobby. He was willing to share or loan out most any personal possession to people he cared about. He was a generous man with his time and money; it was nothing for him to drop what he was doing to go help out a neighbor.
Ben was a long-time, active member of Friendly Avenue Church of Christ in Greensboro. During his life and since his death, FACC members have spoken and written many words of endearment for Ben’s service and his value among them.
Ben Morgan leaves a significant void! If he touched your life and you would like to pay respect to him in some way, the family asks that you perhaps make a donation to a charity of your choice in Ben’s honor.
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