Image via Reveal Digital - jstor.com. Photo by Jess Anderson
Kaleidoscope magazine, Feb. 1, 1970
Kaleidoscope magazine, Feb. 1, 1970
Some people, for whatever reason, are preternaturally geared to pursue “the greater good.” Bill Morris, a longtime Milwaukee resident, was one of those people.
Slight of build and quiet by nature, Morris led a life always in collaboration with his community. His time in Wisconsin began in 1968 when he moved from Morris, Minnesota, after graduating from the University of Minnesota. There he immersed himself in Madison’s “New Left.” He was one of the founders of Wisconsin’s “underground” publications, Kaleidoscope in 1968 and Take Over in 1971.
After becoming a licensed foster parent in the early 1970s, he co-founded Our House, a home for teens in distress. During this time, Morris also co-founded Wisconsin Independent News Distributors (WIND), which was dedicated to delivering progressive books and periodicals to Wisconsin’s large and small bookstores and newsstands. In the 1970s, prior to the Internet, publishing was built upon a much more organic business model. WIND faced challenges and ultimately folded in the late 1970s. Bill moved to Milwaukee in 1977.
In the 1980s, Morris pursued a master’s in social work at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. His ease with people led him to work in labor organizing and real estate sales and management.
A constant thread in Morris’ life was his dedication to Alcoholic Anonymous. He often proudly told people that he last drank on August 5, 1972. During his 52 years of sobriety, Morris sponsored, counseled and supported countless individuals in AA. He was known for looking out for good opportunities for his friends and associates. He was a giver, not a taker.
The flowering of Bill Morris’s life was the epitome of a late bloomer. He and Sharon Davey met over 20 years ago and eventually they married. On Election Day in 2018, their daughter Olivia was born, further brightening their lives. Last year Bill and Sharon bought a home adjacent to a beautiful Milwaukee parkway. On July 28, Bill succumbed to respiratory failure while in a hospice. He was 79.
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A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Aug. 17 at noon, at St. Benedict’s Parish, 930 W. State Street, followed by a pot-luck luncheon. Bill and Sharon enjoyed great companionship and spiritual and community engagement at St. Benedict’s for many years.
Bill Morris is also survived by brothers Rick (Bonnie) of Grand Rapids, MI, and Steve (Nancy) of Columbus, OH; his foster son David Richard (Risna) of Los Angeles; numerous in-laws and other relatives and friends, and his AA community in Milwaukee and Madison. He was preceded in death by his brother Michael and parents Stephen and Jean (De Wall) Morris.
