David M. Morrow's Obituary
David Montelle Morrow age 57, of Centerville, Iowa died Sunday, August 31, 2014 at the Bright Kavanagh House, Des Moines, Iowa.
He was born 5th of January 1957 at Fort Meade, Maryland to Mary Lou (Perkins) Morrow and Darrel Montelle Morrow. As a member of a military family, David grew up in various locations in Alabama, Mokuleia and Haleiwa, Hawaii-Scoffield Barracks (1957-1958 and again in 1966-1971), Detroit (Lincoln Park, Michigan), Centerville, Iowa and Pasadena, California. David was active in Scouting, attaining the rank of Eagle Scout and Order of the Arrow in Hawaii. One of his dreams was to be a part of the Space Program as an astronaut. He maintained a lifetime interest in the Cosmos. In 1971 the family returned to their home of Appanoose County where they lived just west of Centerville.
David attended Centerville High School with many adventures and shared experiences with enduring friends. He graduated in the Class of 1975. He joined the US Air Force; attended the US Air Force Academy. David graduated with a B.S. in Environmental Science and Masters Degree in Public Administration in 1991 from Drake University.
During his college years David's work/employment included the US Army Corps of Engineers at Rathbun Lake and Saylorville Lake as a seasonal maintenance worker and park ranger, the Department of Agriculture with the Forest Service in Colorado, and the Department of Veterans Affairs in Iowa. David made frequent visits to family and friends in Iowa, Kansas, and Colorado. David worked full time for the U.S. Department of Interior as an Environmental Specialist in Yuma and Phoenix, Arizona; Regional Office-Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Program in Lakewood, Colorado; and was Assistant Program Manager-Operations in the Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Program in Washington D.C. David worked with outstanding individuals from a host of government agencies in programs that surveyed, monitored, assessed, mitigated, and restored America's natural resources on Super Fund Sites.
David had the opportunity to travel/work in various locations in the West and South West. His love of travel continued with trips to Florida, Nebraska, Minnesota, Alaska (Twice), Jamaica, Amsterdam, London, Great Britain, and Lithuania. He kept active with bike riding, hiking, flying kites, photography, reading, listening, discussions, and getting to know people of all sorts. He was a generous person with a warm spirit balanced with a great fountain of knowledge. He appreciated, treasured, and loved his family, friends, and his life experiences. David returned to Iowa, Appanoose County in 2008 where he continued his life surrounded with the warmth of small town community life.
David had a favorite quote from astronomer, Carl Sagan: ""We are all star stuff."" Our beloved David went to the beyond on 31 August 2014. David will be dearly missed by his family and friends.
Survivors include: his lifelong, partner, Marcia Thomas; his mother, Mary Lou (Perkins) Morow, his brother Darrel-Butch (Becky) Morrow, his nephews Kaleb (Bernadette) Morrow and their children Emilia and Alexandria and Sawyer (Amanda) Morrow, his aunts Madeline Fletcher and cousins Lara Fletcher and Beth (Rourke) Ruffin; Norma Dene Thomas and cousins Gail (David) Lockridge and their families and Sue Davis; Donna Lee (Wendell) Bailey and cousins Scott and Tim (Cynthe) Bailey and their families.
David was preceded in death by his father, Darrel Montelle Morrow, grandparents Marvel and Verl Perkins, Geneva and Darrel (Doc) Morrow.
There will be no scheduled services at this time. A Celebration of Life Service in David's honor will take place in the future. Memorials have been established to either Iowa Public Television or to HCI (Formerly Hospice of Central Iowa) and may be mailed to Lange Funeral Home and Crematory, 1900 S. 18th St., Centerville, Iowa 52544. Condolences may be left online at www.langefh.com. Lange Funeral Home and Crematory in Centerville has been entrusted with caring for the Morrow Family.
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