In Memory of Morrow Willis(1986 - 2015)

Morrow was born to John and Sakiko Willis on a full moon night, January 25, 1986, at a midwifery center in Oklahoma City. He grew up in a rural setting for two years until the family moved into OKC in 1988. The next year he made his first visit to his mother’s native Japan. In 1990 they were living in Dallas, where his brother Newman was born. The four moved to his father’s “true hometown” of Austin in 1992 where Morrow attended primary and secondary school, graduating in 2004. After doing volunteer work around the country, he attended the University of Southern California, majoring in public policy. During that time he interned in the office of a city councilman, now mayor of Los Angeles. After graduating in 2010, he won a Fulbright scholarship and taught English at a high school in Mokpo, South Korea (2011-12).

On return to L.A., Morrow worked downtown and began seeing Sakiko Muranaka, of South Pasadena, a UCLA grad. In 2013 he began graduate school at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, with the aim of joining the U.S. diplomatic corps. However, when he came to Austin after his first semester, Morrow was admitted at Christmas to the hospital, diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

During his young life Morrow was able to travel on four continents as well as Oceania. He led a full life, with multitudes of friends. Morrow was never heard to complain about his situation and affliction; indeed he made light of it. On one occasion he said he could see a sort of cosmic humor about it all. We had around 400 wonderful days with him, though he was in and out of hospitals in Austin and Houston.  Even though ailing, Morrow was able to find employment and work remotely. Up until the day before he entered the hospital the last time, he was working with an acclaimed American journalist on an upcoming book.

Sakiko showed complete devotion to him, visiting Morrow from her school-teaching job in California multiple times in 2014, and in January she gave up her position to move to Houston to care for him. She even learned to like the sports Morrow loved, baseball and football, the ones he played in high school. They tasted love together.

Seonghwa Ceremony Information

Saturday, February 28
Doors open at 11:30 AM
Memorial begins at 12 noon

Phillips Event Center
8140 Exchange Drive
Austin, TX 78754
(Northeast Austin)

The interment of his ashes will occur at a later date in the Willis family plot at the Milford Cemetery in Milford, Texas.

Letters may be sent to the family at:

The Willis Family
1201 Dailey Street
Austin TX, 78703
Or to: LoveYouMorrow@gmail.com