Katie Earle Owen Morgan died peacefully at her home in Buies Creek, North Carolina on Wednesday, April 15, 2020.  She was born September 22, 1925 in Roseboro, NC, the daughter of Robert Calhoun Owen and Maggie Gavin Owen.

Mrs. Morgan was predeceased in death by her husband of 56 years, former U.S. Senator Robert B. Morgan and by their daughter, Alice Jean Morgan.  She is survived by three children:  Margaret Morgan Holmes and husband Edward of Chapel Hill and grandchildren Grace and Robert; Mary Morgan and Bob Saunders of Raleigh and granddaughter Elizabeth Morgan Reeves; and Rupert Tart and wife Valerie of Angier and granddaughters Emma Jayne Crews, and Heather Schaffer and her husband Davey.

She was predeceased by a sister, Mildred Owen Bradley of Raleigh and a brother, Robert Owen, Sr. of Roseboro.  Surviving nieces and nephews are Sylvia Sutter and husband, Bobby; Lou Batton and husband Darnell; Sue Phillips and husband Lee; Michael Bradley; Tim Bradley and wife Julie; Robert Owen, Jr. and wife Debbie; David Owen and wife Jacque; Mary Lou Matthews and husband Billy Ray; Nancy Morgan Brady; Larry Morgan and wife Nancy.

Mrs. Morgan was a 1946 graduate of East Carolina Teachers College (ECU), from which she also obtained a master's degree.  Active in a host of campus activities, she was elected senior class president and voted most popular. While there, she met her husband Robert and enjoyed jitterbugging at "girl-break dances."  Over the decades, they were among the University's most loyal alumni and stalwart supporters. Mrs. Morgan served on the Board of Trustees at ECU, was selected as one of ECU's 100 Incredible Women in its history, was a Centennial Honoree of the Foreign Language and Literature Department and a member of the College of Education's Hall of Fame. She was a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and Delta Kappa Gamma International Honor Society for Women Educators.

Her career in public education spanned 35 years and included teaching English and French at public high schools across eastern North Carolina including Dunn, Atkinson, Warsaw, Grimesland, and Fayetteville, where she was beloved for her playful spirit and known for the good discipline she maintained without raising her voice. The "Katie Earle Owen Morgan Scholarship Endowment" at the ECU College of Education was established in her honor by one of her former students. Her passion for helping others led to her selection as the Director of Neighborhood Youth Corps, the first federally-funded community youth program in Harnett County.

Mrs. Morgan was an early advocate for Cystic Fibrosis research and helped establish North Carolina's chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.  She was named Volunteer of the Year for the State of North Carolina for her work with Cystic Fibrosis and served on both the state and national Boards of Trustees.  Her volunteer service also included serving on U.S. President Jimmy Carter's National Committee for Handicapped Persons, the National Special Olympics Committee, the Governor's Advocacy Council for Persons with Disabilities, the Governor's Advocacy Council for Prevention of Child Abuse and more recently, as the citizen representative on the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Board.

Mrs. Morgan had a lifelong involvement in politics, speaking at Democratic events across the state and often serving as a surrogate for her husband in his political campaigns. The Harnett  Democratic Women honored her civic contributions to the county, state and country by establishing a "Katie Morgan Day" in 1975.   She was a 2010 recipient of North Carolina's Order of the Long Leaf Pine award.

The Morgan family expresses sincere appreciation to Anita Smith for the loving care and companionship that she provided Mrs. Morgan during the last seven years.  Due to limitations on public gatherings at this time, a private graveside service was held at Harnett Memorial Park in Lillington, N.C., officiated by the Reverend Ed Beddingfield, Jr. A public celebration of her life will be announced for a future date.  The family encourages acts of kindness and generosity in lieu of flowers.