Doris Leigh Perry Morgan, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, cousin, neighbor, and friend, died October 12. Living a remarkable 97 years, she is now at rest with her beloved husband Sam, her parents Marcus Augustus and Lessie Perry, her brother Bill and sister Edna, in eternal light and love.

A bright and gifted student, she continued to have an expansive love of music, athletics, books, and her church and community. She met her husband Sam in elementary school when her family moved from Chowan to Gates County. They were married 59 ½ years, devoted to one another and sharing the adventures of parenting 5 children, 12 grandchildren, and 22 great-grandchildren.

Together they embraced children in Parkers United Methodist Church, organizing summer Bible school, group trips to summer church camp and 4-H camp, leading Boy Scouts, and organizing seasonal fun - Easter egg hunts, campouts, church picnics, Halloween UNICEF collections, Christmas caroling. She volunteered to be grade mother over and over, encouraged participation in sports and school activities, chaperoned school trips, led the 4-H Club. Hosting family reunions was a joy at the Morgan “home place,” with abundant food and homemade ice cream. Doris loved flowers, children, lingering around the breakfast table to chat, and watching the cows and hummingbirds on the farm. Her family has warm memories of sitting with her on the porch, usually shelling vegetables or cracking pecans

Her children and their spouses are grateful beyond measure for her love and care: Tom and Becky Morgan, Mike and Hope Morgan Ward, Phil Morgan and Susan Evans, Rick Morgan and Sue Thompson, Perri Morgan and Tim Tyson. Her grandchildren remember her with love - Will and Latasha Morgan, Sam and Alston Morgan, Michael Morgan and Carson Minow; Mickey Morgan, Jason Ward and Alison Greene, Brooke and Derek Taira, Hope Tyson and Jacob Bolin, Wilma and Sam Cintron-Tyson, Leigh Morgan and Jody Rolling, James and Elaine Morgan, John Morgan, Ashton Hewitt and Kristal Reed, and Clay McPherson.

Her love of children extended to all her great-grandchildren - Landon Morgan; Jax, Lilly, Bubba, and Kaci Rolling; Clark and AJ Mobley; Wynter Vann; Kayleigh Munden; Anna McPherson; Isabell and Ruby Cintron-Tyson; Sky Bolin; Keona, Albee, and Lennox Morgan; Emily and Sam Morgan; Amos and Theo Ward; and Morgan and Nyla Taira.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts are suggested to The Costen Family Scholarship for a graduate of Gates County High School, the Samuel Lee and Doris Perry Morgan Scholarship at Duke Divinity School, the Methodist Home for Children, or the Albemarle Food Bank.

The family will greet friends with a time of visitation from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 18, 2026 at the Miller & Van Essendelft Funeral Home, Gatesville, NC.

A Service of Death and Resurrection will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Monday, October 19, 2026 at Parkers United Methodist Church in Corapeake, NC.

Miller & Van Essendelft Funeral Home, 304 Main Street, Gatesville, NC is assisting the Morgan family with arrangements and online condolences may be made by visiting www.millerfhc.com