John M. Morgan, 74, of Fayetteville, AR, died Thursday, March 4, 2021, at his home. John was born July 26, 1946, in Wheatly, TN. He was preceded in death by his father, John Marshall Morgan, Sr., his mother, Lela Mae Hurt Morgan, and his sisters, Doris and Dorothy. John spent his teenage years in Mena, AR and graduated from Mena High School in 1964. After graduation he enlisted in the Marine Corps and served his country in the Vietnam War. After becoming disillusioned with the direction of the war, John made the difficult decision to serve his country through protesting and resisting the war effort. He then went into hiding for some years under an alias, Richard Lenox, and worked as a photographer for the famous fashion and portrait photographer, Richard Avedon, in New York City. He also spent some time at Crow Dog's Paradise in South Dakota photographing the Lakota Medicine Man and leader, Henry Crow Dog, and learning the ways of Native American spirituality. Following President Jimmy Carter's Proclamation 4483 in 1977 granting pardons for violations of the Selective Service Act during the Vietnam War era, John returned briefly to Mena and then moved to Vermont before finally settling in Fayetteville, AR. After moving to Fayetteville, John worked for several companies and institutions, including the University of Arkansas, in the field of computer system administration and computer hardware and software technical support. After a devasting motorcycle accident in 2004, John was unable to continue working but still lived an active life as a voracious reader, writer and lover of poetry, music enthusiast, Christian contemplative, and volunteer religious educator. John was an Oblate in the Benedictine Order at St. Scholastica's Monastery in Ft. Smith, AR, and a devoted member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Fayetteville, where he regularly attended Sunday Morning Eucharist as well Monday Evening Prayer. John served as a Stephen's Minister, teacher in the Servant Leadership School, and Mentor in the Education for Ministry Program while a member of St. Paul's. Though casual acquaintances may have experienced John as gruff and abrupt at times, underneath his tough Marine persona lived a wise and contemplative soul. John had a gift for quickly getting to the heart of the matter and for remembering just about any detail or point of fact he had read. John touched the lives of those who knew him best. He will be remembered for his hospitality, whether in helping create spaces for people to explore their faith journeys, sharing a perfectly brewed cup of coffee with a friend, enjoying some laughs over a beer or "snort" of Vodka, or through allowing those who cared for him at the end to know the grace of offering kindness and hospitality to him. John's "family" requests memorials be made to St. Paul's Episcopal Church, PO Box 1190, Fayetteville, AR 72702 or through the church's website at stpaulsfay.org. A Memorial Service will be held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Fayetteville on Friday, March 19 at 1:00 pm. Reservations are required for in-person attendance or you may attend via live-stream (stpaulsfay.org for reservations or live-stream link).

Service information has not yet been posted.