Rodney Kemp Morton

Rodney Kemp Morton was born on July 20, 1939, in Miami, Florida to Roy Rudolph Morton and Velda Irene (McSwain) Morton. He had 5 brothers, Richard, Roy Junior, Ronald, Reginald and Rex. He had 2 sisters, Joan and Rhonda.

As a child, Rod was very active an considered a “wild child”. Due to his dare devil mentality, he was involved in multiple accidents. He was run over by a panel truck, which resulted in a body cast. He got his arm stuck in a washing machine, and he was thrown headfirst from his bicycle, and nearly drowned in a puddle.

In 1958, his oldest brother, Richard, who was a lawyer, hired a new, pretty secretary. All of Richard’s brothers were smitten with the new hire. However, Rod was the one who won her heart. Rod and Alice Richards were married November 25, 1959. They were always a united team, who did most things together, including wearing matching outfits.

In 1962, Rod graduated from the University of Miami, with a degree in History. He was an avid, lifelong fan of the Hurricanes. He met nearly all of the football coaches and athletic directors. He was even invited to be the Grand Marshall at graduation in 2018.

Rod will forever be loved and cherished by his three children: Gina Morton Dry, Rodney Lance Morton (Helena) and Leif Kemp Morton (Valerie). And by his five grandchildren, Lindsey Naegeli, David Dry, Brittney Clark, Leif Kyle Morton and Emily Bacia. He also leaves behind 8 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Alice in 2020.

Rod instilled in his children a faith in God, a sense of adventure and a sense of humor. Rod was larger than life and lived life with gusto. His constant positive outlook was contagious. His generosity was beyond compared. Rod was the “meat master”, no one could grill a steak as good as his.

Rod’s venturesome spirit took he and his family all over the world. He and Alice enjoyed travelling to faraway places. Family vacations included road trips with the pop-up camper throughout the mid-west. Many times, he refused to use a map, choosing to take whatever road looked interesting, to see where he ended up. He took the entire family, including grandchildren on Alaskan cruise and land explorations. There were many hunting trips to South Dakota, and rustic camping trips to Cadis Cove Tennessee.

Early in his marriage, Rod was a successful real estate broker, creating Morton Realty and Morocco Construction Company. He would go on to own other companies, including South Florida Plumbing Supply, with two other partners. Eventually, he concentrated solely on insurance. In 1992, he started working with Insurance Office of Florida. He was one of seven partners. He handled corporate policies. By the time he retired in 2020, Insurance of Florida was now Insurance of America, he was a senior vice president and the company had well over a thousand employees. During his time at Insurance Office of America he held weekly devotions for interested employees. He also created an outreach department which financially assisted employees in need.

In the Bible, Paul tells the Corinthians to “follow my example as I follow the example of Christ”. Rod’s life was surely one to be emulated.

A funeral service for Rodney will be held Monday, January 30, 2023 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM at Baldwin-Fairchild Altamonte, 994 E Altamonte Dr, Altamonte Springs, Florida 32701. A reception will occur Monday, January 30, 2023 from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, 994 E Altamonte Dr, Altamonte Springs, Florida 32701. A committal service will occur Monday, January 30, 2023 from 3:00 PM to 3:30 PM at All Faiths Memorial Park, 1390 Park Drive, Casselberry, FL 32707.