John Willard Morton was born Jan. 29, 1945 in Berkeley, California to Paul Lester Morton and Gracia Ann Robinson. He passed away on Jan. 2, 2021 at home in Port Townsend, Washington with his family at his side.
John grew up in Berkeley graduating from Berkeley High School and attending the University of California at Berkeley, where he graduated in 1967 with a BA in German literature and a minor in mechanical engineering. In the 1960s he developed an interest in mountaineering and rock climbing. Throughout the ‘60s he climbed in the U.S and Europe and spent many seasons at Camp 4 in Yosemite Valley, California climbing with Allen Steck, Steve Roper, Frank Sacherer, Steve Thompson, Richard Erb and many others.
John’s interests and skills lead him into a 23-year career as a machinist working in the mechanical engineering department, College of Engineering, UC Berkeley. There he designed and built apparatus in support of engineering research. During this period of his life music dominated his off hours which led to a natural convergence of music and metal work. He began building metal resophonic instruments as a leisure-time activity that during his retirement years became a part-time business producing resophonic guitars, mandolins, ukuleles, Hawaiian lap guitars and several unique one-offs.
Husband, father, rock climber, musician, machinist, luthier, collector of obscure facts. He was funny, kind, generous of his time to anyone who desired it. John will be greatly missed by his family and many friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Gracia Morton; his son Micah; his niece Jennifer Smith; and his sister-in-law Thelma Valdez. He is survived by his wife of 49 years Joyce; his son Willard; his daughter Ann; his sister Margaret (David); his brother Nye; nephews Jonathan (Karen) and Duncan (Amanda); and three grandnieces.
A celebration of life will take place later in the fall as Covid restrictions allow.
