Joseph Morris

Joseph T. Morris, 62, of Champaign passed away at Carle Hospital on June 19 surrounded by his family and friends. He fought bravely for close to two years against the cancer that eventually took his life.  Even during the most trying times of his illness, displayed courage, kindness, and generosity at every turn. Joe was born May 14, 1956,in Danville, Illinois to Anthony Morris and Frances (Omahen) Morris. He married Marci Uihlein on September 10, 2003.  They were together for 10 years before their marriage.  

He attended Schlarman High School in Danville, graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a degree in Economics, and went on to complete a Master of Business Administration at the University of California, Los Angeles.  He was involved in computer programming and later information technology project management.  He was employed throughout the East Central Illinois area and with Hewlett Packard where he worked in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and the outskirts of London, England in the United Kingdom. His last position was with Carle Foundation Hospital, which he found to be rewarding.

He enjoyed traveling and visited many parts of the United States and western Europe. While Joe worked in the United Kingdom, his wife worked in Versailles, France, and they spent much time traveling together and commuting back and forth to see each other. One of the most memorable and poignant trips was when he and his wife were guests at the World Trade Center Marriot on September 11, 2001. Though they fortuitously found safety quickly, the preciousness of life was made abundantly clear. His other passions included photography, amateur astronomy, an interest in bird watching, and genealogy.  

He is preceded in death by his parents and his brothers John and George Morris. Joe is survived by his wife, his brother Mark of Champaign, sister-in-law Valerie Bolte Uihlein of Bloomington, Illinois, his niece Jackie Ground of Springfield, Illinois, and nephews John Morris Jr. of Phoenix, Arizona, and James Morris of Springfield, Illinois.  Joe was a kind, generous man and a loving and supportive husband. He will be missed by all he touched. 

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Monday, June 25, 2018, at Owens Funeral Home, 101 N. Elm Street in Champaign. Visitation will occur one hour before the service (10:00-11:00).  Burial will be at Woodlawn Cemetery in Urbana.

Memorials may be made to the Carle Cancer Center through the Carle Center for Philanthropy in his honor (https://carle.org/give/donate - please direct donations to the Carle Cancer Center).

Joe and his family greatly appreciated the care and kindness he received during his illness and wish to contribute to the support of others in our community facing this terrible disease.

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