Colby Shannon Morgan Jr. ’71

Colby Shannon Morgan Jr. ’71 died on May 24, 2022, in Memphis, Tennessee. Born on March 29, 1949, in Marshalltown, Iowa, Colby grew up in Pittsfield, New Hampshire, and graduated from Dartmouth and Vanderbilt Law School (1974). He met Leslie at Vanderbilt; they wed in 1975. Colby’s legal career included work with Jackson Lewis, FedEx, and Holiday Corp. and private practices in New York and Memphis. He was also admitted to the courts in New York and Tennessee and the U.S. Supreme Court. Colby loved his church, community, and country. He served as chairman of the Memphis Civil Service Commission, board member of the Memphis Emmaus Community, governor of the Tennessee Society of Colonial Wars, and state president for the Tennessee Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, where he was awarded that organization’s highest honor, the Patriot Medal. He served on the boards of Christ Methodist Day School, Su Casa Family Ministries, Latino Memphis, and the National Hispanic Professional Organization. Colby will be remembered for his patriotism, appearing as George Washington in full regalia at the annual President’s Day program at Christ Methodist Day School, and for his singing, from church choirs to the Memphis Symphony Chorus. He played guitar and trumpet, often performing “De colores” at Emmaus sendoffs and “Taps” during solemn occasions. In later years Colby took up running, finishing three marathons. He is survived by Leslie, sons Colby III and Jeffrey, daughter Sarah, four grandchildren, and four siblings.