Colby Shannon Morgan Jr Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Colby Shannon Morgan, Jr., passed away on May 24, 2022, at the age of 73, in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. He was a loving husband, father, friend and colleague, embraced by loved ones as he took his final breath. Born on March 29, 1949, in Marshalltown, Iowa, Colby was raised in the Midwest and Northeast. He lived most of his formative years in Pittsfield, New Hampshire, becoming a young community leader and a standout at the town’s high school. Colby graduated from Dartmouth College in 1971, after which he received a juris doctorate from Vanderbilt Law School in 1974. It was at Vanderbilt where Colby met the love of his life, Leslie. They wed in her hometown, Memphis, Tennessee, in 1975, where they would eventually settle down and spend nearly all of their 47 years together. Colby’s legal career included cherished years of service with the Jackson Lewis national labor & employment law firm, the FedEx and Holiday Corporation legal departments, and private practices in New York and Memphis, including Apperson Crump, PLC, Memphis’ oldest law firm. During his 22 years at FedEx, Colby received several awards for his litigation successes, including the Five Star award—FedEx’s highest honor—as well as multiple Bravo Zulu and "Star Rating" awards for outstanding performance. Admitted to the practice of law in both New York and Tennessee, Colby would also be admitted in fifteen federal district courts, seven United States Courts of Appeals (including the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals), and the United States Supreme Court. He was a member of the American Bar Association, Federal Bar Association, Federalist Society, and a Fellow of the Memphis Bar Foundation. Above and beyond his career, Colby loved his church, community and country. He served as Chairman of the Memphis Civil Service Commission, Chairman of the Board of the Memphis Emmaus Community, Governor of the Tennessee Society of Colonial Wars, and State President for the Tennessee Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, for which he was awarded that organization’s highest honor—the Patriot Medal—for his long, faithful and outstanding service. He also served on the boards of Christ Methodist Day School, Su Casa Family Ministries, Latino Memphis, and the National Hispanic Professional Organization. Valued for his prodigious knowledge, Colby was frequently invited by groups to speak on legal, historical and religious subjects. Colby always strove to give as much of himself as possible. He will be remembered for his memorable teaching efforts, which included an unwavering participation with his wife in their President’s Day program held annually at Christ Methodist Day School. For his part, Colby would dress up in full regalia to become George Washington, a memory that would endure for so many of the school’s students. He will be remembered for his voice, particularly in song, singing in choirs from his earliest memories to his latest years. Whether in church, the Memphis Symphony Chorus, or the shower, Colby loved to sing. And he sang with valour and skill, often taking up solos in an impressive array of performances. And when not singing, many will remember Colby for playing his guitar and trumpet, often performing “De colores” at Emmaus sendoffs and the “Taps” bugle call during Memorial Day and other solemn occasions. In his more advanced years, Colby would also take up running, summoning the resolve to participate in three marathons. If ever there was doubt about his character in commitment and fortitude, any such notions were dismissed during this particular chapter; he finished all three marathons. For all of his accomplishment and talent, Colby was a man for his family first and foremost. His love for his wife and three children never faltered. Whether coaching baseball, basketball, soccer games, or mock trial teams, leading Cub Scouts and Pinewood Derby races, imparting his voracious love of history with family trips to battlefields and other historical sites he loved, or simply making himself present at even the most nominal events of his children, so much of his life was imprinted by his familial dedication, a fundamental selflessness rooted in his core convictions and deep faith. With his passing, he leaves behind a triumphant example of conviction, commitment, wisdom and faith. He will be remembered and loved by those who were blessed to know him forevermore. Colby was preceded in death by his parents, Colby Shannon Morgan, Sr., and Elizabeth Perkinson Robertson. He is survived by his wife, Leslie Morgan; two sons, Colby Shannon Morgan, III, and Jeffrey Michael Morgan; and one daughter, Sarah Morgan Ashey; four siblings, Charles Michael Morgan, Carol Morgan Taylor, Robert Lee Morgan, and Joel Stuart Morgan; and four grandchildren, Rebecca Cahill Morgan, John Jeffrey Morgan, Julia Smith Morgan, and Hannah Lukens Morgan. Funeral Services will be held at Second Presbyterian Church, with a visitation on Thursday, June 2, from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m., followed by a memorial service on Friday, June 3, 1:00 p.m.

Colby Shannon Morgan Jr

March 29, 1949 - May 24, 2022