Brevard - Paul C. Morgan, 84, died peacefully in his sleep on July 12, 2023. He was a life-long Gypsy, having lived, worked or served in the Armed Forces, in 24 states and four foreign countries over his long life as a journalist, corporate communications professional and university professor.

Morgan was born to a high school football coach, later university dean, father and a stay at home Southern mom in Montgomery, Ala. in 1938. He grew up in Alabama and Louisiana as his dad morphed from a coach to the pioneering Dean of Continuing Education at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg.

Along the way, Morgan attended four high schools as his father climbed the ladder as a school principal en route to his work as a college dean. His comment on having attended that many high schools: "As the principal's kid, I had one good fist fight a year through my junior year…someone always wanted to test the new guy, especially if his dad was the principal. I had no interest in going to Hattiesburg, Miss. for my senior year of high school, but, ironically, that proved to be, by far, the best year of my school experience."

He graduated from Louisiana State University with a journalism degree and an Army ROTC commission just in time to make the same senior trip to Vietnam that thousands of young Americans made during the '60s and early '70s. Although trained as an infantry officer, including the infantry school at Ft. Benning, Ga., jump school at Fort Bragg in N.C. and mountain warfare training in Dahlonega, Ga., his journalism degree soon found him detailed to work largely as Public Information Officer. It was in that capacity that he spent a few weeks "in country" in Da Nang, Vietnam in the spring of 1966. He was under fire only once for 20 minutes or so, but described those few minutes as the most terrifying experience imaginable.

Following three years of active military duty, Morgan went to work as a reporter for the Montgomery Advertiser in the Alabama capital. That work, however, was short-lived as he was soon hired away as a public relations representative for Shell Oil in New Orleans and at Shell's corporate headquarters, then in New York, now in Houston. His next 20 years were spent doing similar work at Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical in Oakland, Calif. and at the Bank of America in San Francisco.

Tiring of corporate life, and despite having often said that he'd never consider a teaching career, in the fall of 1976, Morgan accepted the challenge of creating a public relations major at the prestigious University of Missouri School of Journalism. That move, which he often described as the "best career move I ever made," began a 30-year teaching career that included stops at Virginia Commonwealth University, Syracuse University and the University of Pennsylvania.

In 1991, he married Theresa Bumgardner, the love of his life whom he often said was "the making of him," a loving partnership that was to last for more than 30 years.

Following his retirement from teaching, and Theresa's retirement from The U.S. Dept. of Justice in Washington, the Morgans began looking for a retirement spot, landing in Brevard and buying a home here in 2009. Paul could not stay away from college life and he and Theresa worked for many years supporting Brevard College students, especially those from overseas.

He regularly spoke to, and provided guest speakers for, BC's business classes. He also co-founded a long-running organization that matched retired local businessmen and women mentors to BC business majors to, as he often said, "to help guide the student from the classroom to the workplace."

He is survived by his wife Theresa Morgan of Brevard, NC, a brother, Dr. James Morgan of Laguna Niguel, Calif. and niece and nephew Shannon Stone and Dr. Mark Morgan, both of Edmond, Ok.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Brevard College-Paul Morgan Scholarship Fund. Through this Fund, Morgan's love for education and the matriculating young adults can be memorialized in perpetuity.

A memorial mass will be held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Brevard at 10:00am on Saturday, July 22, 2023.

Online condolences may be left at www.moodyconnollyfuneralhome.com

Moody-Connolly Funeral Home and Crematory is caring for the family.