Joel David Morrisett passed away at the age of 83 from complications due to Parkinson’s Disease. Joel was born on May 2, 1942, to Stephen and Mary Morrisett in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The third of four children, “Joey” loved growing up on a farm in the small town of Boiling Springs, raising cattle and spending his days outside. After graduating from Shelby High School with academic honors and as an Eagle Scout, Joel attended Davidson College where he majored in Chemistry. While attending Davidson, Joel was set up on a blind date with Mary Myers, who was a senior at Myers Park High School. They began dating. Both attended The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where Mary studied teaching while Joel pursued a PhD in Organic Chemistry. After graduation, they married and enjoyed 58 years of love and joy together. After serving as a captain in the U.S. Army at the Edgewood Arsenal Army base in Maryland for two years, Joel and Mary moved to Palo Alto, California where Joel was a post-doctoral fellow under the mentorship of Harden McConnell at Stanford University. Three years and two children later, Joel moved his family to Houston, Texas where he began a fulfilling career as a biochemist in the Atherosclerosis Section of the Department of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in the Texas Medical Center. His biomedical research on heart disease supported through National Institute of Health grants resulted in hundreds of peer-reviewed publications that addressed multiple aspects of cardiovascular diseases and their risk factors. Notably, he refined a diagnostic technique, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), for the non-invasive diagnosis of peripheral arterial disease. Joel was also an educator and, in this capacity, he trained many graduate students and fellows, some of which now hold positions of leadership at institutions around the world. Joel was also an institutional leader, serving as director of a research training grant from the National Institutes of Health and as Director of Research in the Atherosclerosis Section. The Morrisetts purchased a home in the Southgate neighborhood, which was so close that Joel could bike to work. Joel and Mary decided that Houston was where they would put down roots and make their lifetime home. Through the years, their family grew to seven children. When he wasn’t performing lab experiments or spending time at home with his wife and children, you would most likely find Joel one block away from home at 6409 Greenbriar serving his church. He started each day with his Bible open, seeking what God had to tell him for that day. He was an active deacon at Rice Temple Baptist Church and enjoyed playing trombone in the church orchestra, serving on various committees, and changing out the weekly message on the church sign. He wrote letters to inmates through the Prison Fellowship Ministry for years and even kept correspondence and mentoring with young men after they were released. Throughout his time at Baylor, Joel enjoyed traveling to Russia, Germany, Japan, Austria, and Nigeria. Joel was adventurous; he loved snow skiing, running (including in two marathons), and whitewater rafting. After serving on BCM staff for 40 years, Joel retired to Professor Emeritus status. After retirement, Joel served through several Christian humanitarian service organizations including Living Water, Habitat for Humanity, and Samaritan’s Purse. Joel is survived by his wife, Mary; his seven children Elizabeth Smith (Brian), Samuel (Jennifer), Sarah Bartlett (Jeff), Daniel (Kerry), Miriam Sperring (Ray), Paul (Kristen), and Philip (Emily); and his twenty-two grandchildren Abigail Reitmeyer (Andrew), Lilly Smith, Charlotte Smith, Melissa Morrisett, Micah Morrisett, Susannah Morrisett, Ellie Bartlett, Anna Bartlett, Keeley Bartlett, Luke Bartlett, Selah Morrisett, Joel Morrisett, Will Sperring, Charlie Sperring, Cate Sperring, John Sperring, Weston Morrisett, Grant Morrisett, Thomas Morrisett, Caroline Morrisett, Lauren Morrisett, and Mary Charlotte Morrisett. To celebrate his life, a Memorial Service will be held at Rice Temple Baptist Church, 6409 Greenbriar Street, Houston Texas on Sunday, December 28 at 3:00 p.m.