Thomas John Morrow passed away January 25, 2017 at MorningStar Senior Living in Boise, Idaho. He was 85 years old.
Tom was born December 5, 1931 in Raton, New Mexico to John and Dorothy (Trumble) Morrow. He was the fourth of five children. Tom attended public schools in Raton and Des Moines, New Mexico and Trinchera, Colorado before graduating in 1948 from The Abbey School in Canon City, Colorado. He attended Trinidad State Junior College and then joined The United States Navy in 1951 where he attained the rank of Aviation Ordinance Second Class.
After serving our country four years, Tom returned to the family ranch on Trinchera Pass in Colfax County, New Mexico. It is then that he met Geneva (Neva) Ross, who was teaching at nearby Des Moines. He married Neva on January 28, 1956. They lived in Las Cruces, New Mexico until 1959, when Tom received his Bachelor’s Degree from New Mexico State University. It was during this time they had their first two children – Janet Mary in 1957 and Tom Sean in 1959. Their third child Timothy John was born in 1961 while they were living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where Tom taught math at Taft Junior High School.
Tom and Neva returned to Des Moines, New Mexico in 1961 where Tom was Principal and taught until 1963. Their fourth child James Dale was born in 1962. In 1963 Tom continued his graduate studies at the University of Northern Iowa.
In 1965 they returned to the Morrow Ranch on Trinchera Pass. Tom and Neva would spend the next twenty years operating the ranch and raising their family. They had their fifth child, John Jerome, in 1969. Tom eventually followed in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps by entering into politics. He served two terms as a Colfax County commissioner and two terms as county assessor. In 2004, Tom and Neva moved to Callaway, Nebraska where Neva passed away in 2006. In 2015, Tom moved to Boise, Idaho.
Tom leaves behind his sisters, Becky Helms of Salt Lake City and Abbie Reaves of Folsom, New Mexico; his sons Tom Sean (Rhonda) of Plano, Texas; Tim (Lori) of Bellingham, Washington; James (Debra) of Boise, Idaho and John (Nadine) of McKinney, Texas; Ten grandchildren and three great grandchildren. He is preceded in death by wife Neva, daughter Janet, sister Patricia and brother Jack.
A memorial service and celebration of life at MorningStar Senior Living in Boise, Idaho will be held March 12, 2017 at 2:30 MST. Veterans Honors will be observed at Evergreen Park Shrine of Remembrance in Colorado Springs at a later date. Memorials will be given to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
I am sorry to learn of John’s passing. I grew up down the street from his parents. My Mother Katherine Dardanes helped him campaign many years ago. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.