John T. ‘Jack’ Morgan died at home in Meaford, Ontario on Sunday, August 4, 2024, in his 85th year.
He is survived by his wife Linda, of Meaford; his daughter Sarah Morgan, now of Thornbury; his son Ned Morgan (Susan Potter) of Meaford; and grandchildren Nathaniel Paquin, Caroline Paquin, and Ella Potter Morgan.
Jack was predeceased, among many others, by his younger brothers, Philip Morgan, of Orillia. Ont., and Ralph Morgan, of Ailsa Craig, Ont.
After his first job working for the National Film Board, university graduation and teacher training, Jack began teaching secondary school at Northern Secondary School in Toronto. When he and his family moved to Meaford in 1970 he taught at Georgian Bay Secondary School for several years. Then, moving into school administration, he became in turn a vice-principal of Owen Sound Collegiate and Vocational Institute, principal of Georgian Bay S.S., principal of Community Education, principal of West Hill Secondary School in Owen Sound, and finally through to his retirement in 1997, a superintendent of schools for the Grey County Board of Education.
He was actively involved over the years in many volunteer activities. The first of two that stand out was an early one when he was a member and chair of the Meaford General Hospital Board of Governors. The hospital was then a 65-bed active and chronic treatment hospital. He worked to ensure that the viability and, indeed, presence, of hospitals in small towns like Meaford were seen by those who made the decisions as critical and necessary parts not only of the health but also of the economic well-being of small communities.
After retirement he became active as a volunteer helping the Bruce Trail Conservancy acquire conservation properties, mainly in the Beaver Valley section of the Bruce Trail, to ensure that the Trail and the properties would be conserved in perpetuity. Over roughly 20 years he assisted in the acquisition of dozens of such properties.
His signal Trail development project in those years was leading the building of a 30 km optimum route addition to the Trail, along with its integrated side trails, into the upper reaches of the Boyne/Beaver River system. That now well-known length of the Bruce Trail has come to be called The Falling Water Trail.
His leisure activities over the years were many and mostly outdoors and included, in season, boats and boating, long canoe trips and fishing trips with friends and family, and much cross-country skiing in winter. He did enjoy his friends, old and new, and he read a lot of books.
There will be no official end-of-life ceremonies or gatherings. Jack’s family will scatter his ashes privately at a later date.
Condolences can be conveyed to the family through the funeral home.
As your expression of sympathy, donations to the Meaford Hospital Foundation or the Bruce Trail Conservancy would be appreciated and may be made through the Ferguson Funeral Home, 48 Boucher St. E., Meaford, ON, N4L 1B9, to whom arrangements have been entrusted.
