Charles Linnell Morgan died July 6 at his home in Longbranch. He was 77 years old.
Charlie was born in Marquette, Michigan, in 1946 to Howard and Eldora (Linnell) Morgan. The family soon moved to Longview, Washington, then to Tacoma where he spent his childhood attending Annie Wright Preschool, Lowell Elementary, Hilltop Heritage Middle School, and graduating high school from the Charles Wright Academy. He left Tacoma to explore college and later served in the Air Force (1967 to 1970) but returned to Washington in 1971.
Charlie was introduced to the Key Peninsula at age six when his family bought a beach house on Filucy Bay. Since then, the KP was his true home and honing steel from building a log house for his young family near Delano Bay to tending his retirement garden on Erickson Road. He carried a deep love and respect for the Key Peninsula’s land and the people who steward it now and from time immemorial.
Charlie had the rare ability to turn his passions into jobs, leading to a rich and varied career including sheep rancher, greenhouse operator and owner (president of the Washington Floricultural Association 1983), reggae music impresario (founder of Outernational Records, author of the definitive Studio One discography, and manager of the Defenders); woodworker (builder of the world’s most comfortable Adirondack chairs); and general gadabout.
Charlie’s passion and curiosity to understand the human condition led to avid research and enjoyment of literature and music and the amassing of formidable collections of rare records and books.
Whether it be surfing, gardening, fishing and boating, forest exploration or rock collecting, Charlie always stayed connected to the nature he so admired and reveled in.
Charlie was preceded in death by his parents; sister Susan Handley, and a long line of dogs including Caper, Sadie, Jake, Jasper, Django and Juka.
Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Melissa Morgan; daughters Sara Morgan (Derek Van Nest) and Sonja Morgan (Frank Lopez); beloved grandchildren Vivian Morgan Van Nest, Theo Morgan Van Nest and Rashida Francis; sister Liz Heath; nieces Elizabeth Grosse, Emily Russel, Anna Richmond, Amanda Smyth and Erin McLaughlin; nephews Chris Handley and Wim Vanderspek and a multitude of friends who will remember his acerbic wit and kind heart.
A memorial service will be held at the Longbranch Improvement Club, Oct. 13 at 2 p.m. Instead of flowers, please consider a donation to the Great Peninsula Conservancy.
UNDERWRITTEN BY THE FUND FOR NONPROFIT NEWS (NEWSMATCH) AT THE MIAMI FOUNDATION, THE ANGEL GUILD, ADVERTISERS, DONORS AND PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT, NONPROFIT LOCAL NEWS
