Jim Morton, 70

Jim Morton of Ellwood City passed away on July 23, 2024 after a two month battle with Glioblastoma. He was peacefully surrounded and wrapped in love by his family. Jim is now playing in the clouds with his very-beloved bulldog Ella Mae.

Jim was born in Corry, PA on October 13, 1953 to the late Mary Morton and Fredrick Silvis. Jim’s youngest years were spent moving around frequently. At the age of 13, Jim moved to Camp Allegheny to be raised by his Aunt Phyllis and Uncle Bill, who was working as the camp’s caretaker at the time. It was at Camp Allegheny that Jim honed his woodworking and mechanical skills and learned to paint a car for the first time.

Jim was an avid lover of music and greatly enjoyed playing the trumpet.

Jim joined the US Army in 1971, scoring a perfect test on the ASVAB exam. He served as a mechanic and cook, stationed in Frankfurt Germany during the Vietnam War as a SPEC 4. Jim was fond of his years in Germany and made the most of a trying time in the world. He explored the countryside and castles, discovering favorite foods with his first wife Kathy.

In Germany, he had his first daughter, Jennifer in 1974. Jim’s first son, Scott, was born in 1978.

Jim continued working as a mechanic and painting cars for years to come. He painted everything from corvettes to custom golf carts. His prized work of art was a truck with dozens of coats of paint on it.

Jim was also well known in his community for being a butcher, cutting meat for Smith’s Smokehouse, Value King and Shop ‘n Save.

It was at Value King that Jim met coworker Nancy Youngblood, who quickly became very close friends. One day, Nancy’s daughter, Debbie Youngblood, came in the store and Jim won her heart over. It didn’t help that Jim was bribing Debbie’s young daughter, Jaime, with packs of m&ms.

May 5th 1980 was a beautiful day. After waking up, Jim asked Debbie if she would like to travel to the courthouse and be united in marriage that afternoon. Jim raised Jaime from age 2, sharing many more packs of m&ms for years to come. May 5th 2024, Jim and Debbie celebrated their 44th year together.

Together, Jim and Debbie operated Morton’s Deer Processing. It grew to become one of the regions premier butcher and smoke shops for deer processing. Hunters would come far and wide for Jim’s famous jerky or hot steak recipes until the business closed in 2003.

In 1987, upon learning that Debbie was pregnant with their son Cory, Jim began a new career at the United Postal Service. He remained working night turn as a postal service clerk until 2003. He was well known at the New Castle branches for pranking his co-workers.

Jim and his family spent as many weekends as possible at Holiday Camplands at Pymatuning Lake. He enjoying searching for “sea glass” along the shores of Lake Erie. He was a lover of NASCAR and creating stand-glass works of art.

Jim and Debbie also operated a successful business reselling Fiestaware. Together, they became a source of knowledge of Fiestaware, traveling far and wide in search of rare dishes and attending conferences.

Jim was preceded in death by parents Mary Morton and Fredrick Silvis, sister Linda Roberts, Marie and John Adams and beloved bulldog Ella Mae.

Jim is survived by his wife Debbie Morton and his children Jennifer Garcia & Lou Sinagoga, Scott Morton & Nicole Treadway, Jaime Jones & John Clark, Cory Morton & Rachael Hayden. He is also survived by his grandkids Ryleigh, Aiden, Emily, Manny, Noah, Nash and Natalie “toots”. Siblings Becki & Tim Baumgartner, Benjamin “Skip” & Bobbi Morton, Paul Roberts, Sandy Silsby and Willa Riley, Aunt Phyllis and Uncle Bill.

Friends will be received on Thursday, July 25th from 2pm-4pm and 6pm-8pm at the Joseph A. Tomon, Jr. Funeral Home & Crematory, 97 Grim Avenue, Ellport. A wake will be held for close friends and family on Friday, July 26th at 11am at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family asks that donations be made in Jim’s memory to Club Hope.