Delwin was born September 4, 1933, at home in Flat Creek, near Athens,
Texas, to Carl and Ina (Carson) Morton. Del was preceded in death by his
parents, first wife Joy Butler, step-father Buddy Keeton, and brother,
Tommy Morton. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Brevely; his three
daughters and sons-in-law, Elisa and J.L. Heard, Kara Morton, and
Kristen and Jon Heard. Also survived by sisters, Carla Owen Clay &
Gwyn Jeter Horn. Del was blessed with nine grandchildren that brought
him much joy: Zach and Jason Heard, Taylor Smith Phillips, Hillary Smith
Kelsey, Hannah Smith Manning, Corri Smith, Parker Jane Heard, Mallory
Heard, and Brooks Heard. He is also survived by 8 precious
great-grandchildren.
Del graduated from Athens High School at
the age of 16 and attended Texas Tech University. While in Lubbock, Del
entered U.S.A.F. Cadet School where he graduated as the Distinguished
Graduate, First in Class. He then served in the Air Force as a
Lieutenant until 1958 when he received an Honorable Discharge.
From
a young age, Del was a risk-taker. A born entrepreneur, he had a wide
variety of interests including broadcasting, venture capital, banking,
manufacturing, and real estate. Del had a gift for land acquisition and
development. In his career, he bought, sold or developed over 30,000
acres in Collin, Dallas and Smith counties.
Del was a tenacious
and unique man and despite his deteriorating health conditions in
recent years, he displayed a remarkable gift and zest for meeting
people, doing deals and being on-the-go. He was generous to a fault,
always had a story to tell, never at a loss for words and had a
bigger-than-life personality.
In 1943, Del received Jesus as his personal Savior and was baptized at Central Baptist Church in Athens. His family and friends can be comforted knowing that he had found a saving grace through his belief in Jesus Christ.
Above all, he
cherished time with his wife and 3 daughters and their families over the
years, taking many family trips and enjoying time together. His family
is blessed to be sustained by numerous beautiful, fun and precious
memories enjoyed with their beloved Daddy and Papa. Thank you for loving
us so completely. We miss you so but look forward to a heavenly reunion
not too far away.
A celebration service of Del’s life will be
held Saturday, September 28, 2019, 3 pm, in the chapel at First Baptist
Church, 610 S. Goliad, Rockwall, TX.
Special thanks to the staff at Hospice Select for providing loving care to Del during his last days at home.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society at www.donate.lls.org
