1956–2026

It is with deep sadness that I share that Ken lost his battle with heart disease in January. He was a wonderful husband to me for over 40 years. He was truly my soulmate; I was lucky enough to be his wife, friend, and collaborator. As our friend Pam Herstein said, “If you put him in a room with Eric Clapton and were blindfolded, you wouldn’t know who was who. I hope he’s jamming with George.” When he was a young teenager, he started to write songs and collaborated with his best friend Glenn.

We just celebrated his 69th birthday and shared it with our newly adopted dog, Mateo.

First and foremost, he wanted to be a good man, more than he wanted money or acclaim. He wanted to be a good father, husband, and grandfather. He was passionate about what he believed in and truly concerned about people being treated fairly.

He loved playing for people whether it was at home, in a club, or at our church. He also acted and performed in many plays that I had written for Working Women’s History Project.  

Besides music, he loved baseball. We often joked that I converted him to being a Cubs fan (he grew up on the Southside and I grew up on the Northside). He was delighted when they won the World Series in 2016. He recently went to a Cubs game with his son Steve, and he loved going to Wrigley Field.

I loved sharing my life with him, and I will always love him. 

Ken Morris was a longtime board member of Working Women’s History Project.

Joan Morris is a board member of Working Women’s History Project, and was Ken’s beloved wife.