William Kennedy Morrow, Jr.

William Kennedy Morrow, Jr., age 91, of Middletown, DE, passed away peacefully on Saturday, May 27, 2017. A native Delawarean, Bill was born in Delaware City on July 27, 1925 to the late Alma and William K. Morrow, Sr. He was a member of the Delaware City H.S. graduating class of 1943. After graduation, Bill played semi-pro baseball for teams in Delaware and Maryland, and for a minor league team in Pennsylvania. He was inducted into the Delaware Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015. In addition to his love of baseball, Bill also loved farming. Together with his wife, Betty, he purchased a farm near his birthplace, which they named Bilbet Farms. In 2009, Bill and Betty were honored by the New Castle County Farm Bureau when they were named Farm Family of the Year. Bill began with dairy cows and later transitioned to crops. His love for his land and awareness of conservation from his no-till practices on his farm, made him an incredibly respected agriculturalist in New Castle County for many decades. Bill was an avid hunter and trapper for over 65 years, maintaining up to 1,000 active traps at one time. Active in his community, he was a 65 year member and Master Mason at the Jackson Lodge No. 19 A.F. & A.M. Bill devoted his life to taking care of his wife, his family, and his land. He was truly one of a kind, and if you had the pleasure of meeting him, you never forgot him. He will live in the hearts of his family and friends forever. In addition to his parents, Bill was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Betty Reynolds Morrow; sisters, Betty Ewaka and Virginia Fagan; and his nephew, Bob Fagan. He is survived by his daughter, Lois Thornton; grandson, Thomas Thornton; great grandson, Anthony Thornton; nieces, Fran Vickers, Billie Speakman, and Diane Pearson; and nephew, Shawn Fagan. In celebration of a true gentleman, family and friends are invited to attend a visitation from 10 am until 12 Noon on Monday, June 5, 2017 at the Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Home, 121 W. Park Place, Newark, DE, where a funeral service will begin at 12 Noon. Interment will follow in Hickory Grove Cemetery, Port Penn, DE. In lieu of flowers and to honor Bill’s love of the outdoors and hunting, donations in his memory can be made to Appoquinimink Ducks Unlimited, c/o SR Smith, 105 S. Broad St., Middletown, DE 19709, or to Jackson Lodge No. 19, P.O. Box 57, Delaware City, DE 19706.