Gordon Duncan Morris

Our world lost a bright light early on May 12 when Gordon Duncan Morris passed away unexpectedly of natural causes.  He was a beloved son of George Morris and Margo MacIntyre, a fiercely loyal and loving twin brother of Weston Lassiter Morris, and the steadfast partner of Gracyn Meredith Davis.  Gordon was born on March 4, 1993, one minute after Weston in Mooresville, NC where the family lived for 11 years before moving to Chapel Hill.

A 2011 graduate of Carrboro High School, Gordon attended UNC-Pembroke, Caldwell Community College, and Asheville-Buncombe Community College before he found a true calling in carpentry. Recently promoted to lead trim carpenter, Gordon was a valued and loved team member at Jade Mountain Builders for 11 years. His extraordinarily creative and generous nature blended with his skills as a woodworker and he was incredibly perceptive, with the ability to envision and create clean, beautiful, and functional objects, from furniture and walking canes to cutting boards.

His calling to build and create was nurtured and stoked by the community that organically formed around him. It began in middle school, grew in high school, and fully coalesced around their time in and around UNC-Asheville. Known as “The Compound”, this community bought property in Woodfin and lived communally for thirteen years. In those years Gordon helped demolish, repair, upgrade, and improve the space. These young men shared the joys and challenges of early adulthood by building community and inviting people in and sharing it with many. From buying an old camper van for a snowboarding road trip in the Rockies to camping on an island on the coast of Maine, they went on adventures together.

Just before the Covid-19 pandemic, Gordon moved to Steamboat Springs, Colorado, to work for the ski resort and spend a winter snowboarding. Unfortunately, that adventure was cut short by the pandemic and he returned to North Carolina for lockdown.

Five years later, Gracyn came into his life and something new emerged. With Gracyn, there was a peacefulness to Gordon, and their relationship brought him joy and a new kind of fulfillment. Gordon loved her and her love brought him confidence that made his presence more radiant.

A celebration of Gordon’s life was held on Saturday, May 16 at Zillicoah Beer Company in Asheville. It was there that we saw the magnitude of what he meant to this world and the significance of his impact on those who knew him. From his annoyingly cheerful “Good morning, Daddy! Good morning, Mommy!” as a toddler, to the outsized hugs we all came to expect from him as a child, teenager, and adult, we saw his ability to connect with everyone. Friends from Culbreth Middle School, Carrboro High, Highlanders Rugby, the Chapel of the Cross Episcopal Youth Community, and family from near and far showed up by the dozens for us and for each other to celebrate this loving young man and the love he radiated throughout his whole life.

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Gordon is survived by his parents, George Morris and Margo MacIntyre, both of Chapel Hill, twin brother Weston Morris (Rosemary McDonnell-Horita) of Berkeley, CA, and his beloved partner, Gracyn Davis of Woodfin.  His paternal grandparents Kathy and George Morris, Sr of Dover, Delaware, uncles Steve Morris (Chris Morris) and cousins Evan and Ellis of San Diego, Larry Morris (Dee Dee Morris) and cousin Sara of Wilmington, DE, and cousin Christopher (Colorado), an aunt, Sharon Morris Fleming (Mike Fleming) of Dover, and cousin Sean Santiago of Wilmington, NC, uncle Lynn MacIntyre (Melanie) of Merritt Island, FL, and cousins Ian (Montana) and Amilia  (NYC) also survive. Weston and Gordon’s steadfast and adoring godmothers Julia Scatliff-O’Grady (Durham) and Maria Sgambati (Tampa) who were role models and always there for him, and the community at The Compound, Joe Baker, Sam Brighton, Aaron Kreizman, Steven Disla, Zach Hepp, and Taylor Scott mourn this enormous loss.

Donations in Gordon’s name may be directed to Asheville Humane Society https://www.ashevillehumane.org/get-involved/other-ways-to-give/  and the  G5 Trail Collective https://www.g5trailcollective.org/

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