03/17/2026
Dr. Rodler Frederick “Rick” Morris, Sr., passed away peacefully at his home on the morning of March 4, 2026, at the age of 78.
Rick was born in 1947 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, to Frederick Todd “Todd” Morris and Sannie Forest. He grew up there surrounded by a large extended family. He attended Delbarton School in Morristown, New Jersey, a Benedictine preparatory school where he excelled both academically and athletically. Rick often credited his experience at Delbarton as formative in shaping the man he would become.
After graduating high school, Rick attended the Virginia Military Institute, where he was commissioned as an officer in the United States Army in 1969 during the height of the Vietnam War. During that time, he lost several close friends and classmates in the conflict, an experience that profoundly shaped his worldview and inspired a lifelong commitment to supporting American soldiers through his later professional work.
Rick went on to earn both a Master of Arts and a Ph.D. in Modern European History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, completing a highly selective doctoral program.
In 1975, Rick married Lynne McCurdy (Wettig), and together they had two sons. In 2002, he married Deborah Nelson (Morris), who remained his loving partner for the rest of his life.
Rick enjoyed a long and distinguished career that included serving as an Associate Professor at Hillsdale College in Michigan during the 1980s. He later worked at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, as Command Historian at the Combined Arms Center and as Program Manager and Deputy Director for the Center for Army Lessons Learned. Over time, he became widely respected as an expert in the field of knowledge management. His dedication to continuous learning led him to earn numerous professional certifications, including a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and a Master Certificate in Business Analysis from Villanova University, in addition to many others.
In 2015, Rick co-founded Morris, Nelson and Associates, LLC and served as its president. Through this work, he devoted himself to combating human trafficking and supporting efforts such as ReHope and The Justice and Dignity Center of Kansas City, helping impact many lives.
Despite his professional accomplishments, Rick’s greatest joy was his family. He was a lifelong and enthusiastic reader and instilled a love of books in his children and grandchildren. In his later years, he especially enjoyed attending his grandchildren’s activities, including dance lessons, sports practices, birthday parties, and family gatherings.
Rick also enjoyed traveling in recent years, visiting destinations including Key West, Florida, Arkansas, New Jersey, and many others, often blending business and leisure.
Rick was deeply loved and will be greatly missed.
He is survived by his wife of 24 years, Deborah Morris; his children Todd Morris, Rodler “Rod” Morris Jr., Cristopher Hawkins (KaCee), Kira Haynes (Terry), and Brion Hawkins; his grandchildren Adrienne, Avery, Landon, Reed, Jaden, Kahlibur, Kingsley, Nova, Luna, Farley, Oliver, Layla, Carter, Aniya, and Jada; his brother Kevin Morris (Colleen); and many cousins, nieces, and nephews throughout the United States.
Visitation will be from 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 28, 2026, at the R.L. Leintz Funeral Home. A celebration of life service will begin at 3 p.m. Saturday, at the funeral home. A full obituary to follow. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to The Justice & Dignity Center, 3114 Paseo, Kansas City, MO 64110, or ReHope, PO Box 88, Harrisonville, MO 64701.
