James Alvin Morgan
November 6, 1935 ~ February 9, 2016
Resided in:
Franklin, NC
James Alvin Morgan, 80, of Franklin, NC, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, February 9, 2016, at the Eckerd Living Center in Highlands, NC, following a courageous 30-year battle with Parkinson's disease.
Born in Forest City, NC, Mr. Morgan was the son of Mattie Gettys Morgan and the late Oscar Lee Morgan.
After graduating from Lee H. Edwards High School, Mr. Morgan attended North Carolina State University where he earned a bachelors' degree in Forestry. Following his graduation from college he served in the U.S. Army for two years.
After returning home to North Carolina he earned his law degree from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Mr. Morgan began his legal career at Federal Trade Commission, specializing in antitrust legislation before moving on to practice corporate law at BF Goodrich in Akron, OH.
In the late 1970s, he was recruited by the management team at Rubbermaid Inc. in Wooster, OH to establish their in-house legal department. He went on to have a successful 23+ year career, rising to level of Senior Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel. Mr. Morgan's legal expertise, along with his honesty and integrity, provided leadership and stability to the company through its successful yet turbulent years from 1981 until his retirement, as Rubbermaid Inc. navigated its transition through no less than four Chief Executive Officers amidst acquisition and restructuring plans and increased competition. He was very proud of everyone on his entire legal team at Rubbermaid, whom he considered his second family.
Health complications forced his retirement and he would later relocate to Asheville, NC, to be closer to family. He enjoyed volunteer work with SCORE as well as time with friends and family. He was a past member of West Asheville Baptist Church.
His illness was difficult, yet he exhibited dignity and grace in the face of daily complications from the toll Parkinson's disease takes on the human body. Our family is eternally grateful to his caregivers who compassionately helped him manage his difficult daily life and provided not just care, but comfort and companionship.
In addition to his mother, Mr. Morgan is survived by son CAPT James Michael Lee Morgan, USN; his daughter, Ann Phythyon and husband, Dan; grandson James Daniel Phythyon; sister, Priscilla Deese and husband Emerson, and nieces Susan Hughes and Angela Marshall.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, February 13, at 1:00 p.m. at the WNC Baptist Home in Asheville, NC. In lieu of flowers, his family asks that memorial donations be made to the WNC Baptist Home, 213 Richmond Hill Drive, Asheville NC 28806 or to the Lewy Body Dementia Association, 912 Killian Hill Road, S.W. Lilburn, GA 30047.
Groce Funeral Home on Patton Ave. is assisting the family.
James was the one person I remember from Lee Edwards who was good at everything he did, but he was the very best at being a decent human being.
Our prayers and thoughts are with you all during this time of loss. May the Lord comfort and keep you.
Mr. Morgan (as I knew him) was one of the first people I encountered in my life that treated me not for my economic standing (challenged at the time), but for my worth as a man (boy at the time) seeking an education and to be productive. He and his family showed me hospitality and friendship at a pivotable time in my life. Peace to Ann and James, time flies and our ties to Wooster thinning.