Paul “Doc” Morris June 20, 1951 - August 13, 2026

Paul “Doc” Jordon Morris, our beloved father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend passed away on August 13, 2026, at the age of 75. He will be remembered for his outgoing nature, humor and wit, his love of being a cowboy, tractors and golf. Most of all, he will be remembered as a good friend and for how much he loved his children and grandchildren, and how proud he was of them. He was born on June 20, 1951, on the Navajo Indian reservation in Ganado, Arizona and was raised in Snowflake, Arizona as a descendant of the faithful and resourceful men and women who heeded the call of a prophet of God to settle that area. He was number five of ten children and grew up surrounded by family who worked, worshipped and played together. He honored his heritage, and deeply loved and appreciated his parents, affectionately referring to them as the “salt of the earth”.

When he was a teenager, his family moved to Delta, Utah where he finished high school. There Paul served as the FFA president, and along with his brothers became a rodeo cowboy competing in bareback, saddle bronc, and bull riding. He attended Utah Valley technical college where he earned an associate degree and was a member of the rodeo team with his former wife Kaye Barney. Paul eventually became the father of four children: Luke, Seth, Chance and Natalie. During this time, he worked construction and even had a stint as a professional cowboy on the pro rodeo circuit. As an adult, he worked in real estate and owned a farm he loved in Leland, Utah where he grew a robust garden and harvested alfalfa.

Paul was a romantic and enjoyed taking his children to plays at Hale Center Theater, reading western novels and listening to cowboy poetry. He had beautiful penmanship and wrote and submitted some of his own poems. The idea of being a cowboy resonated with him and even as he got older and had limitations, he enjoyed riding along with his brothers Kelly and Kent in the basin to help bring the cows off the mountain.

When Paul was 49, an abnormal heart valve he was born with failed, and he had it surgically repaired. During that operation he suffered a stroke and lost his ability to speak fluently, read or use his right arm and hand. He exhausted rehab toward recovery and settled into a new reality of life. Throughout the rest of his life, Paul demonstrated resilience and grit. Despite being disabled and unable to speak fluently, he stayed social, regularly engaged strangers in conversation and made a point to be a part of the work force.  For years he worked on grounds crews cutting grass and maintaining machinery at the golf course and city parks in Delta, and later at Hobble Creek Golf course in Springville. During the winter he would find janitorial work with the school district because he couldn’t “sit still” and enjoyed the company of others.

Paul worked to do his best at any task, but especially important to him was loving and encouraging his children and grandchildren, supporting their activities and growth. He found ways to be positive and enjoy the simple things especially visits with friends and family. He developed a passion for tractor pulls and competed and paraded regularly with his beloved Ferguson tractor.  He especially enjoyed when his grandchildren were able to watch him, and he could take them on tractor rides.

Paul is proceeded in death by his parents Lamell Golding Morris and Lora Flake Morris, his oldest sister Lena Morris, and cousin Allen “Buckshot” Gardner. He is survived by his children Chalmer Luke (Mary) Morris, Mariah Seth Morris, Chancelor Lamell Morris, and Natalie Brooke (Max) Heath, and his grandchildren Eliza, Samuel, William and Owen (Luke), Levi and Abel (Chance) and Ruby, Lilah and Frank (Natalie), and siblings Jim (Loretta) Morris, JoAnn (Dick) Ross, Kent Morris, Karen (Tim) Cowley, Pete (Sheryl) Morris, Kelley (Chris) Morris, John Morris, adopted sibling Gary Morris and cousin Barbara “Babs” Gardner.

Funeral services will be held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel at 1158 E 1240 South, Spanish Fork, UT 84660 at 11 am on Friday August 21, 2026, and graveside and interment will be performed later that afternoon at Delta City Cemetery in Delta, Utah.  There will be a viewing from 6-8 on Thursday August 20, 2026, at Walker Mortuary 187 S. Main St.,  Spanish Fork and another on August 21, 2026 at the chapel prior to the funeral services starting at 9:30.