Dr. James C. Morris III of Roanoke, Va., passed away peacefully on Monday, December 17, 2018, at the age of 81.
Jim was a Renaissance man with many interests. He was an ongoing devotee of opera, sharing his love of Berlioz amongst family and friends. He liked to paint, interpreting artists such as Vermeer and Rembrandt.
With an avid interest in astronomy, he observed the splendor of the night sky with his home telescope. Jim explored both sky and earth; he and his wife, Dixie, touched base on all seven continents, from New Zealand to China to Antarctica.
He was interested in contemporary music of all sorts, taking his teenaged sons to rock concerts and trips to Washington, D.C., while encouraging neighborhood cohorts in their own musical endeavors, which earned him a reputation as a sympathetic, kindred-soul dad. In his spare time, he was an avid historian of World War II strategies and outcomes.
Jim was born in Louisville, Ky., on March 21, 1937, earned his bachelor’s degree at Davidson College, and his medical degree at Duke University. He completed his General and Plastic Surgery residencies at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, Mo., and the University of Virginia.
After serving three years in the United States Army, Jim entered private practice in Roanoke, where he treated patients for nearly 40 years. His most famous patient was the boxer, Muhammad Ali, which was documented locally. He was preceded in death by his loving wife of 50 years, Dixie Lee Morris.
Jim is survived by sons, Matthew C.E. Morris and wife, Holt, of Winston-Salem, N.C., James C. Morris and wife, Meredith, of Clemson, S.C.; grandsons, Robert S. Morris, James W.D. Morris, and John R. Morris and wife, Shalini, of Charlotte, N.C.
The family will hold a memorial in January.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Doctors without Borders to reflect his enduring concern for health and welfare of those in war-torn areas. Arrangements by Oakey’s South Chapel.
Online condolences may be expressed at www.oakeys.com.
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