Bill Morris

Bill Noel Morris, son of the late Fred and Mary (Dyer) Morris, was born August 17, 1954, in Springfield, Missouri, and left this world for his home in Heaven on June 2, 2023, in Springfield, Missouri. He was 68 years, 9 months, and 16 days of age.

Bill counted himself blessed beyond measure to be married for 46 years to the love of his life, Karla (Frisbee) Morris. He enjoyed spending time with family and friends in many forms. He loved sharing potluck meals with his church family, going on long side-by-side rides with Karla on dusty, country roads, and exploring the changing scenery of multi-state motorcycle trips with the companionship of a fun-loving group of friends. Bill recalled with fondness his years of playing Panthers football for Mountain Grove High School. While raising his young family, he enjoyed bonding and making memories through family vacations, Saturday morning trips to the coffee shop for pancakes, building a log cabin with the “help” of his kids, and trailer camping at Theodosia, which always involved some swimming and tubing fun. His greatest joy in life was his wife, kids, and grandchildren. Bill was a very proud “Papaw” and enjoyed telling others about the ways in which his granddaughters brought joy to his life.

Bill positively impacted the lives of countless people. He was most known by the community for his role as Pastor at Calvary Temple Church from 1996 to 2019. Before that, he served as Associate Pastor there from 1988 to 1996. Since retiring, Bill has enjoyed preaching on an interim basis at Pleasant Home Church and walking alongside the many new friends he met through the Mountain Moving Ministry and the Misfits groups.

Bill was a devoted follower of Christ, and he dedicated his life to sharing that message with others, both in word and deed. He always looked forward to participating in volunteer trips to Haiti, where he formed many meaningful and lasting relationships. Ministering to those in nursing homes and prisons was another way he lived out his faith. Through his decades of ministry, Bill was present for life’s moments of highest joy and lowest sorrow for numerous families. He consistently showed up for others, bringing along his own calm strength and sharing the hope of his faith. Before his pastoral role began, Bill also forged many connections through his work at Tindle Feed Mill. About his transition from that line of work to pastoring, Bill was often heard saying, “I fed cattle for many years, and then God called me to feed sheep.”

Bill’s faithfulness and endurance, both in relationships and prayer, have set an example and helped shape many lives. With perseverance, he planted seeds of hope in those around him and trusted that those seeds would continue to grow even beyond the finite years of his earthly life. As others are saying upon hearing of his passing, “He was one of the good guys.”

Besides his parents, Bill was preceded in death by one sister, MaryAnn Chasteen, two sisters-in-law, Shilah Morris and Kathy Matthews, one brother-in-law, Ronnie Owen, one nephew, James Dooms, and parents-in-law, Ronald and Bonnie Harris and Tommie Frisbee.

Bill will be deeply missed by his wife, Karla Morris, his son, Matt Morris and partner, Caitlin Winkler, his daughter, Lacy Cameron and husband, Mike, two granddaughters, Zoey and Ember, siblings, Fred “Sonny” Morris, Connie Dooms and husband, Dean, and Jackie Morris, brother-in-law, Byron Frisbee and wife, Carol, sister-in-law, Janet Owen, and brother-in-law, Leon Matthews, as well as many other relatives and friends.