James Alan Morris, 70, of Lexington, NC passed away July 11, 2026, after a hard-fought battle against a glioblastoma brain tumor. Alan, or “G-Dad”, leaves behind a legacy of faith, family, and a love for the outdoors.

Born December 21, 1955, Alan grew up in Hopkinsville, KY the only son of the late James Prentice Morris (d. 1997) and the late Elgie Louise Wells Morris (d. 2019). He spent time on his grandfather's farm as a boy, and learned to hunt and fish, a hobby that grew into a life passion. He attended Western Kentucky University and became a civil engineer, first for the City of Owensboro, then in 1984, moved to Lexington, KY to work for the City of Lexington/LFUCG. After retiring early from the city, he worked for several private engineering firms in Lexington, KY. He was known to pull over in a newly paved parking lot just to examine the material. In 2016, he was baptized into the Church of Christ, and most recently a member of Winston-Salem Church of Christ.

An avid traditional bow hunter, he had the opportunity to go on several guided and independent hunts in Canada, and U.S. states including Utah, Montana, New Mexico, Idaho, Colorado, Arizona, and of course, Kentucky. He had a record-setting buck featured in Pope and Young from November 12, 2000. He would also bring in coolers full of bluegill and crappie that made the best fried fish. He loved camping, and along with his family found some of the greatest camping spots in both Kentucky and North Carolina, always researching new gear and the latest gadgets for optimal camping conditions.

In addition to his parents, he was also preceded in death by a life-long best friend, Gary Williams (d. 2019).

He leaves behind his wife of 45 years, Therese Bittel Morris, of the home; daughters, Kathryn and Laura (Dan), all of Winston-Salem; and two grandsons, Sam and Will.

Those who knew him described him as “stoic yet surprisingly funny, a model to know what a good father and husband should be like.” He instilled a love for hunting, fishing, and the outdoors in his grandsons. Along with constantly playing little pranks on all of us. Even in his final days, when we would talk about something he had no interest in, he was often heard saying “I guess you had to be there.”

“I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed to us.” Romans 8: 18

Alan chose to “donate his body to science” and donated his remains to the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, after which he will be cremated and the family will hold a private memorial ceremony.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be considered for Alderwood Hospice of Davidson County, 200 Hospice Way, Lexington, NC 27292 or 412, Inc. at https://412.charity/.