John Maximilian Morgan

John Maximilian Morgan died peacefully on June 12, 2026, at the age of 95. He spent his last months at Otterbein SeniorLife in Granville, Ohio, cared for by his loving wife Rockett (Verocca Hardy) Morgan and the excellent staff there.

John was born August 19, 1930, in Clearwater, Florida, to Ernest and Micheline Morgan. Later on he, his sister Mary, and his brother Ernest lived with Anna Spiers, his wonderful foster mother in Chicago, Illinois, whom John always referred to as “Mom.”

John attended high school at Wayland Academy in Wisconsin and then went on to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he graduated with a degree in forestry in 1953. He married Sidney Ann Stoker and had daughters Molly, Leigh, and Marion. John served two years in the US Army as a first lieutenant, with stints in Fort Benning, Georgia, and Fort Lewis in Tacoma, Washington.

John began working for Scott Paper Company in 1956 and spent his entire career with the company. He held various positions at Scott, starting off in mill operations, moving on to forest management, and ultimately shifting into personnel management. These different roles took him and his family from Alabama to Maine to Wisconsin and then back to Maine, where he retired from the company in 1991.

John married Rockett in December 1991 and the couple lived in Buxton, Maine, for years. They spent hundreds of happy hours volunteering with the Maine Appalachian Trail Club (MATC), where John served as an officer; he was also on the board of directors for the AT Conservancy based in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. John especially enjoyed working with his friends maintaining the trail and building lean-tos and other structures to support hikers.

John and Rockett’s shared love of the outdoors eventually led them to begin a new chapter of their lives, travelling around the country in an RV as work camper volunteers. This took them to lots of beautiful locations over the next 11+ years, including state parks, national wildlife refuges, and US Forest Service campgrounds, where John used his talents to help improve those environments in multiple ways.

Chance ended those travel adventures and the couple moved to Rockett’s hometown of Hanover, Ohio, and later to Granville. One of the happiest benefits of this move was the ability to spend time with their grandson, Walker D. Lawrence, as he grew up.

John will be remembered for his remarkable kindness, generosity, and lifelong commitment to give back to his community, no matter where he lived. In addition to his work with the MATC, he served as a Boy Scout leader, school board member, Red Cross vice chairman, deacon in the Presbyterian church, and in many other civic roles throughout his life. He was a wonderful, loving father to his three daughters and imbued them with his love of—and sense of responsibility for—the outdoors, taking them on camping vacations and teaching them about plants, animals, and nature. He was a skilled woodworker, creative photographer with a self-built darkroom, and avid backpacker and canoe enthusiast, taking many trips both alone and with others. John felt a deep interest in people, had a great sense of humor, and made friends everywhere he went.

John’s entire family wishes to thank his compassionate, dedicated caregivers at the Otterbein Granville Health Center and Otterbein Universal Hospice. While we will miss him terribly, we are deeply grateful for all the years we had together. Of his life, it seems just right to say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Based on John’s wishes, there will not be a local memorial service, but he hoped that everyone would remember him however they see fit.