James Morton

James W. Morton, 92, born in Windsor, Ontario on July 29, 1925 to an Englishman, Walter Naylor Truman Morton, and a Canadian, Susie Muma, died peacefully in his sleep on February 23, 2018. Jim grew up on the Detroit River at the foot of the Ambassador Bridge and worked summers at an amusement park on Boblo Island. There he learned to drive a stick-shift which began a lifelong love of cars and most anything mechanical. He was fascinated by the Great Lakes freighters that plied the river and later served on a destroyer in the Royal Canadian Navy before naturalizing as a U.S. citizen in the mid '60s.

While a grad student at N.C. State University, Jim met and fell in love with Dot, a flame-haired farm girl who was a nurse at Rex Hospital. They married in Raleigh in May 1953 and raised their three children, David (Linda), Kevin (Ruthie), and Anne (Steve Yeakey) in Washington, NC before moving to Winston-Salem in 1989. Jim worked for many years in the textiles industry. After retirement from National Spinning Company, he did part-time consulting with MicroFibres. He also did very fulfilling volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity.

His love for the sea (and the way it looked on gray, winter days) never left him. His day job kept him landlocked, but at night, he spent many happy hours in his little shop seated on a stool, a jeweler's magnifying glass clipped to his glasses, building what would become an armada of sailing vessels. Beginning with plastic models of the Constitution and the Thermopylae, he graduated to wooden models of the Fair American, L'Orenoque (a Civil War sidewheeler), the Golden Hind and many others. Jim patiently tied hundreds of tiny knots for the rigging of these works of art. When macular degeneration robbed him of his vision, he never complained. He began "reading" books on tape, including the nautical adventures of Stephen Aubry as told by Patrick O'Brian, along with some truly awful potboilers and detective mysteries.

"Poppy" taught his kids and his granddaughter, Michaela, how to swim. He enjoyed time with all his grandchildren: Mary Beth, Michaela, Seth, Anna Clare and Joe. After Dot was diagnosed with dementia, Jim devoted himself to her care, cooking grilled cheese sandwiches and scrambled eggs on a stove he couldn't see, deep frying sweet potatoes, and buying her flowers and Klondike bars on his trips to the grocery store.

Jim made friends easily. He answered the phone with a distinctive "M'yello?!" He charmed his nurses during his doctor and hospital visits, and he always made it easy on his caregivers. When asked how he was doing, he'd often say, "I'm still here!" He stayed in touch with colleagues from his National Spinning days as the years passed. He faithfully worshipped at Maple Springs Methodist church and later at the local church service at Homestead Hills. He relished a good meal, except for broccoli and other green things. And he loved the company of his many dogs, especially Samantha (a vicious, adorable chihuahua) and Maddie (a mild and loving golden retriever). He fought the good fight with unfailing joie de vivre. He now rests with God in hope of the resurrection.

Jim was predeceased by his sister, Mary Morton McLean of Mississauga, Ontario. Mary had two daughters, Susie and Louise. Jim loved them dearly. Louise lives in Scotland with her husband, David. Susie still lives in Canada and was able to visit Jim and Dot last September, which thrilled them.

The family is grateful for so many people who helped Dad during the latter years of his life: in particular, Dr. Mark Nelson, who fought tenaciously to preserve Dad's vision, Dr. Giovanni Llibre, his general physician, and Dr. Alexander Hadley, his long-time nephrologist. We especially want to thank the staff at Hospice of Winston-Salem and at Homestead Hills who cared so well for Dad in the last weeks of his life and all the staff and neighbors at Homestead Hills for their steadfast kindness and encouragement to Dad. Lastly, a special shout-out to Patrick Rudolph at Homestead Hills, who gladly chauffeured Dad to nearly all his many appointments for the past 6 years.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a tax-deductible donation to the Friends of the North Carolina Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (FNCLBPH):

FNCLBPH
1841 Capital Boulevard
Raleigh, NC 27635

https://www.friendsnclbph.org/donate.php

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