Obituary of MSgt Orlaff Thomas Morton,, USAF, Jr.

Orlaff Thomas "Tom" Morton, Jr., 82, died January 8, 2021 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.He was born October 30, 1938 in Logan, Kansas to Orlaff Thomas, Sr., and Sarah Clarice (Case) Morton.He was preceded in death by his wife, Juana LaDawn Morton; sons, Thomas and Wolf Morton; sister, Patricia (Morton) Smith; and his parents.Tom is survived by his daughters, Barbara "Diane" Morton and Linda Morton; and brothers, William (Bill) and Kenneth Morton.Tom was raised in Phillipsburg, Kansas, and graduated from Phillipsburg High School, home of the Panthers, in 1956. While in high school, he served with the Kansas Army National Guard. He also worked with his parents during the summers on crop harvesting crews, and worked at Lumpkin's Grocery after school hours.Following high school, at the age of 17, Tom enlisted in the United States Air Force, serving on active duty for more than twenty years as an electronics technician, rising to the rank of Master Sergeant before retiring with an honorable discharge. He was stationed in many areas of world including Madrid, Spain; Thule, Greenland; Misawa Air Force Base, Japan; Clark Air Base, Philippines; and Keflavick, Iceland.Following his initial enlistment in the USAF, Tom lived in Salina, Kansas, working at Week's Grocery Store. It was there that he met his wife LaDawn. They were married on July 22, 1961 in Wakeeney, Kansas. Following his son Thomas's first birthday, he re-enlisted in the USAF and spent his leave time with his growing family, seeing as much of the United States and the world as he could.In 1978, Tom decided to establish new roots in Colorado Springs, building a house for his family near the United States Air Force Academy, where he was currently stationed with the 10th Communications Squadron. Following his retirement from the USAF in 1979, he completed his Master of Science degree at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs in December 1981. He had previously earned his Bachelor of Science degree through Webster University.Tom became proficient in computer programming, which he thoroughly enjoyed, and began a second career as a computer engineer and systems analyst. He worked on many government contracts with companies such as Ford Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, and Northrup Grumman. His military experiences made him a valuable asset to these organizations. He retired from working in 2005, eager to spend more time traveling with LaDawn.Because LaDawn was a fan of the television show "The Love Boat," Tom took her on a cruise in 1984. From that first cruise, they were both hooked on cruising, eventually sailing on more than thirty voyages together. Many of these voyages were shared with Tom's brother Bill as well as some with children, Diane, Linda, and Wolf; and Tom's brother, Ken. Quite a few of Tom and LaDawn's close friends sailed with them on various trips, and they met countless interesting people from all over the world.When they sailed on transatlantic cruises, they often spent a few days before or after the cruise in various foreign countries, including England, Spain, and The Netherlands. Tom also spent a few days in Sydney, Australia before embarking on a cruise across the International Date Line on the way to Seattle, Washington.Tom and LaDawn's travelling was not limited to cruises. They also enjoyed flying and driving to various locations in the United States, including Tennessee, Kansas, Oklahoma, Washington, Nevada, and Louisiana. They had always planned to travel as much as possible during their retired years and created many happy memories by doing so.Tom had many hobbies throughout his life, including bowling, camping, softball, board and card games, and roller skating. He earned his private pilot's license at Misawa Air Force Base in Japan and continued to fly occasionally with his family at various bases in the United States. He was a lifelong fan of western and science fiction movies and television shows.A private Funeral Service will be held at 3:00PM, Friday, January 15, 2021. A viewing will be held for one hour prior to the service. Attendees will be capped at 50 people and masks/facial coverings are required.The service will be streamed live. The link to watch the Funeral Service is located on Tom's Tribute Wall on The Springs Funeral Services website. Events Funeral Service Friday, January 15, 2021 3:00PM Private Service - Live Stream Available Webcast Colorado Springs, CO 80909