Dennis Lloyd Morgan

1948-2013 Dennis Lloyd Morgan, age 64, a resident of Belen, New Mexico passed away from this life into the next on Tuesday, April 23, 2013 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was born on July 18, 1948 in La Junta, Colorado to Lloyd Allen Morgan and Nell Lorenzo Morgan. He moved from La Junta to Slaton, Texas where he attended St. Joseph’s Catholic School and served at mass daily. He played all-star baseball in Texas and played the trumpet with his marching band in the Cotton Bowl parade. He later moved to Pueblo, Colorado where he graduated from Pueblo East High School in 1966. He attended Otero Junior College in La Junta, Colorado until he joined the United States Navy in May of 1967. He was trained in electricity and electronics school and was sent to Sasebo, Japan where he served as a radioman. In 1970 he was sent to Norfolk, Virginia as a communication specialist for the Fleet Air Wing Five Tactical Air and Ground Command until his discharge in 1971. He received the National Defense Service Medal and remained in the Naval Reserves until May 1973. In March 1971 he went to work for the AT&SF Railway Company in La Junta, Colorado as an electrician. He was transferred to Raton in 1976 as an ASDE (Assistant to Superintendent of Diesel Engines) to trouble-shoot locomotives. From 1976 until 1984 he was trained in locomotive design and maintenance every year at the Electromotive Division of General Motors for EMD locomotive engines in Des Plaines, Illinois and General Electric Locomotive Division for GE locomotive engines in Erie, Pennsylvania. In 1984 he was transferred to Denver, Colorado as a Road Foreman of Engines, and in 1988 he was sent to the Santa Fe Railway Locomotive Maintenance and Inspection Terminal in Barstow, California. He came to Belen in 1994 and was a Mechanical II Supervisor responsible for the locomotives and locomotive maintenance and service at the BNSF Roundhouse in Belen. He was one of the foremost authorities on locomotive engines for both the Santa Fe and BNSF Railways. Dennis reluctantly retired January 2, 2012 from the BNSF after 41 years of injury free service. He loved his job and he was loved and respected by his staff and crew, his colleagues, supervisors and management. Dennis was the most loving husband, father, son, grandfather, brother and uncle. He had a vivid imagination and youthful spirit and enjoyed playing or participating with his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews in whatever activity they wanted to do. He told the most fascinating stories about his life experiences and he spoke with great passion and volume about the things he loved: his family, baseball and the New York Yankees, the railroad, long drives through the mountains, fishing, golfing and ruthlessly beating his girls at Monopoly. He had a great sense of humor and never knew a stranger. He was kind, generous, very charming and he always had a smile on his face. He was a realist and lived his life with gusto. We love him with all our hearts and will miss him deeply. He was preceded in death by his father, Lloyd Allen Morgan. Dennis is survived by his mother, Nell Lorenzo Morgan of Reno, Nevada; his wife, Lena Loren Malcom of Belen; daughters, Jennifer Lynn Jones and husband, Fred of Reno, Nevada, Nikki Lee Wilbur and husband, Nicholas of Albuquerque and Megan Rose Malcom-Morgan of Belen; sisters, Donna Morgan Brenner and husband, Richard of Reno, Nevada and Deborah Morgan Castro and husband, Richard of Cottonwood, Arizona; and grandchildren, Taylor Renee Jones of Reno, Nevada, Dheaven Nicole Palomino of Albuquerque, Alec Michael and Eden Rose Palomino of Kingman, Arizona and Sophie Page Wilbur of Albuquerque. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews. Services were held at Romero Funeral Home on Monday, May 13. Sign Dennis’ online register book at www.romerofuneralhomenm.com. Romero Funeral Home, 609 N. Main St., Belen, NM

Dennis Lloyd Morgan

July 18, 1948 - April 23, 2013