United States Navy,
FCSN - Fire Control Technician Seaman,
Persian Gulf War,
Veteran,
Kenneth William "Billy / Ken" Morgan, 48 years 9 months and 8 days of age, of Somerset, Kentucky, departed this life unexpectedly on Saturday, April 3rd, 2021 at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky.
Billy was born in Chula Vista, California on Monday, June 26th, 1972, son of Stanley Ray and Linda Marie Burkett Morgan. Billy proudly served his country in the United States Navy. He was a heavy duty construction worker for several years. Kenneth was a hardworking, kind hearted and generous person. He enjoyed fishing, dart games, and in his younger years golfing. Because of his military background, Kenneth dedicated time and efforts to the American Veterans Organization as well as the local American Legion. He is greatly missed by those who knew and loved him.
Billy was survived by his parents, Stanley and Linda Morgan of Tehachapi, California; one loving son, Cullen Ray Morgan of Louisville, Kentucky; two sisters; Peggy Morgan of Bakersfield, California and Rebecca (and Andreas) Samsa of Wiesbaden, Germany; his wife, Julia Morgan of Florahome, Florida; a step-son, Brandon Pauken; one niece, Amanda Bonilla; one nephew, Christopher Morgan; several great-nieces; and a host of other relatives and friends who mourn his passing.
Graveside service and Inurnment were held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, April 9th, 2021 in the Mill Springs National Cemetery in Nancy, Kentucky.
Full Military Honors were presented by the American Legion Post # 38.
The Somerset Undertaking Company and Crematory in Somerset, Kentucky was in charge of the arrangements for Billy.
THIS IS A TRIBUTE IN MEMORY OF BILLY,
Billy's parents, Linda and Stanley Morgan were sitting in his room, at the University of Kentucky Albert K. Chandler Hospital in Lexington Kentucky, crying when a young boy came into his room and asked why we were crying. His father told him that our little boy was very sick. He said he had a school assignment that was to write a story about someone in the hospital and asked if he could write about Billy. His father said ok and told him a story.
Billy was named Kenneth William Morgan. Everyone called him "Ken" except his family and we always called him Billy. He was raised in and around San Diego, California by his mother, Linda. Being in the United States Navy, I was away from home most of the time and she did an awesome job raising an incredible young man. About the time I was ready to retire from the Navy Billy was ready to enlist in the Navy, so a joint ceremony, on August 1st, 1991, was conducted where I enlisted him in the Navy and immediately thereafter my Commanding Officer retired me from active duty. This is where I will begin his story.
After completing his boot camp and initial training as a Fire Control Technician, where he learned how to operate and repair weapon systems radar equipment, he was assigned to the USS Normandy (CG-60) at Staten Island, New York. While onboard that ship he was experiencing back pain. He was evaluated and when his ship entered port in Rota, Spain he was flown back to the United States where he was to report to the hospital at Bethesda, Maryland. When he arrived, it was winter time. Walking up the steps at the front of the hospital he slipped on the ice, fell and broke his back. He had no option but to lay there until an ambulance could be dispatched to take him to the emergency room. He was admitted to the hospital where doctors repaired his back and placed steel rods along his spine to hold everything in place. Those rods remained in his back for about two years before he went back into surgery to have them removed. Following his recovery, the Navy would no longer certify him fit for sea duty and subsequently issued him a medical discharge and separated him from the service on October 31st, 1995.
Even though he was no longer fit for sea duty his back seemed to be fine and he went to work. Some of his jobs included working at an oil refinery in Somerset Kentucky, and tall structure maintenance. He would climb 500 foot tall smoke stacks then climb inside, evaluate and repair any bad spots that were identified. He also climbed light houses and performed maintenance on them. The most notable was the light house in Daytona, Florida. After that he worked heavy construction for a company that moved buildings. While working in Savannah, Georgia his company was moving a historical building that belonged to the gas company. The job was to move the building 300 feet, clean the soil around the original site then move the building back. While preparing the building to be moved he was working underneath while other members of the crew were working on top. Then, all of a sudden, the building collapsed trapping him underneath in the rubble. During the collapse, a very heavy beam came down, cut the bill off his hard hat in front of his face, then continued down and trapped his left arm. Unable to get out from under the rubble 911 was called. First responders arrived and determined they needed additional help and contacted a local hospital that dispatched a team of doctors who crawled under the building and amputated his left arm at the shoulder to get him out. He was then transported to a hospital for treatment. When this accident happened his mom and sister rushed to the hospital in Savanah, Georgia to be with him. I can remember Linda telling me that one of his most painful moments during that time was the feeling that he would never be able to hold his young son in his arms again. It took a long time for his body to heal from that trauma, and even longer for his mental healing. For the remainder of his life, he suffered the effects of phantom pain, feeling pain in the arm and hand that was no longer there. Billy dedicated the rest of his life to raising his son, as a single dad. As of the writing of this story I can attest that he did an awesome job and raised an incredible young man.
At this point Billy is 48 years old and has been informed that he needs open heart surgery to repair/replace heart valves. During the month before surgery, he gained about 40 pounds excess water weight. He was admitted to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky in March 2021 and was subsequently moved to the University of Kentucky Hospital and placed in intensive care on March 16th with surgery scheduled for March 23rd. The week prior to surgery medical staff removed 8 liters of fluid from his body and during the surgery they removed 8 more liters. During surgery doctors replaced one valve, repaired one valve, and corrected an "A fib" condition. His surgery lasted 13 hours before he was sent back to his room. Doctors connected him to an "ECMO" machine, which supported his heart and lungs, so they would not have to work so hard in the initial recovery process, with plans to remove him from that machine in 3 to 5 days. He was progressing satisfactorily, although not as quickly as hoped. He remained on ECMO for 7 days. He was taken back to surgery and removed from ECMO on Tuesday March 30th. He was then taken out of the operating room and returned to his ICU room doing well. About 3 hours later he took a turn for the worse, his body chemistry was out of balance and he was in a crisis condition. His doctor told us that when the body reaches a ph level of 6.9 it could no longer sustain life. His level was at 7.04 and they didn't know why. They worked and were able to bring his ph level back up to 7.2 but still were unable to determine the cause of the problem. They performed x-rays, and an ultra-sound, everything looked normal. They informed us that they wanted to do a complete CT scan of his body to see what was going on but they couldn't because he would not survive being disconnected from the life support equipment that he was on. Gastrointestinal doctors performed and upper GI on him to check for bleeding and found three problems which they corrected. He then developed a fever, Blood tests were done to see if there was infection and where it might be centered. Billy's recovery continued to decline. A CT scan was performed that revealed that he had suffered a massive stroke, paralyzing his left side. Throughout this entire time he never regained consciousness.
On April 3rd, 2021, the family gathered around his bed side along, with his doctor and chaplain, and made the decision to let him go. He was removed from life support and at 1:40 p.m. he passed into the Lords arms.
Billy, you have suffered the pain and darkness of this life. You held your son in your arm, gave him comfort and raised him to be an awesome young man. Your work is done. Now go to your father. He will hold you in his arms, he will give you comfort and take away your pain. Rest in peace with your holy father for eternal life in the heavens above.
This is a snapshot of Billy's story. The young boy, named David, with the school assignment was in my dream, and I believe he was an angel sent from God to let us know that he Is watching over us, to comfort us, with the knowledge that Billy is no longer suffering from chronic back pain and the phantom pain of his arm, but is in the Lords care. He is not taking Billy away from us. He is taking him home to hold him in his arms, comfort him, and grant him peace. (Graciously written by his Dad. Stanley Ray Morgan)
Obituary information curtesy of the family. Find A Grave memorial created by Cadmus ID # 46987840.
FCSN - Fire Control Technician Seaman,
Persian Gulf War,
Veteran,
Kenneth William "Billy / Ken" Morgan, 48 years 9 months and 8 days of age, of Somerset, Kentucky, departed this life unexpectedly on Saturday, April 3rd, 2021 at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky.
Billy was born in Chula Vista, California on Monday, June 26th, 1972, son of Stanley Ray and Linda Marie Burkett Morgan. Billy proudly served his country in the United States Navy. He was a heavy duty construction worker for several years. Kenneth was a hardworking, kind hearted and generous person. He enjoyed fishing, dart games, and in his younger years golfing. Because of his military background, Kenneth dedicated time and efforts to the American Veterans Organization as well as the local American Legion. He is greatly missed by those who knew and loved him.
Billy was survived by his parents, Stanley and Linda Morgan of Tehachapi, California; one loving son, Cullen Ray Morgan of Louisville, Kentucky; two sisters; Peggy Morgan of Bakersfield, California and Rebecca (and Andreas) Samsa of Wiesbaden, Germany; his wife, Julia Morgan of Florahome, Florida; a step-son, Brandon Pauken; one niece, Amanda Bonilla; one nephew, Christopher Morgan; several great-nieces; and a host of other relatives and friends who mourn his passing.
Graveside service and Inurnment were held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, April 9th, 2021 in the Mill Springs National Cemetery in Nancy, Kentucky.
Full Military Honors were presented by the American Legion Post # 38.
The Somerset Undertaking Company and Crematory in Somerset, Kentucky was in charge of the arrangements for Billy.
THIS IS A TRIBUTE IN MEMORY OF BILLY,
Billy's parents, Linda and Stanley Morgan were sitting in his room, at the University of Kentucky Albert K. Chandler Hospital in Lexington Kentucky, crying when a young boy came into his room and asked why we were crying. His father told him that our little boy was very sick. He said he had a school assignment that was to write a story about someone in the hospital and asked if he could write about Billy. His father said ok and told him a story.
Billy was named Kenneth William Morgan. Everyone called him "Ken" except his family and we always called him Billy. He was raised in and around San Diego, California by his mother, Linda. Being in the United States Navy, I was away from home most of the time and she did an awesome job raising an incredible young man. About the time I was ready to retire from the Navy Billy was ready to enlist in the Navy, so a joint ceremony, on August 1st, 1991, was conducted where I enlisted him in the Navy and immediately thereafter my Commanding Officer retired me from active duty. This is where I will begin his story.
After completing his boot camp and initial training as a Fire Control Technician, where he learned how to operate and repair weapon systems radar equipment, he was assigned to the USS Normandy (CG-60) at Staten Island, New York. While onboard that ship he was experiencing back pain. He was evaluated and when his ship entered port in Rota, Spain he was flown back to the United States where he was to report to the hospital at Bethesda, Maryland. When he arrived, it was winter time. Walking up the steps at the front of the hospital he slipped on the ice, fell and broke his back. He had no option but to lay there until an ambulance could be dispatched to take him to the emergency room. He was admitted to the hospital where doctors repaired his back and placed steel rods along his spine to hold everything in place. Those rods remained in his back for about two years before he went back into surgery to have them removed. Following his recovery, the Navy would no longer certify him fit for sea duty and subsequently issued him a medical discharge and separated him from the service on October 31st, 1995.
Even though he was no longer fit for sea duty his back seemed to be fine and he went to work. Some of his jobs included working at an oil refinery in Somerset Kentucky, and tall structure maintenance. He would climb 500 foot tall smoke stacks then climb inside, evaluate and repair any bad spots that were identified. He also climbed light houses and performed maintenance on them. The most notable was the light house in Daytona, Florida. After that he worked heavy construction for a company that moved buildings. While working in Savannah, Georgia his company was moving a historical building that belonged to the gas company. The job was to move the building 300 feet, clean the soil around the original site then move the building back. While preparing the building to be moved he was working underneath while other members of the crew were working on top. Then, all of a sudden, the building collapsed trapping him underneath in the rubble. During the collapse, a very heavy beam came down, cut the bill off his hard hat in front of his face, then continued down and trapped his left arm. Unable to get out from under the rubble 911 was called. First responders arrived and determined they needed additional help and contacted a local hospital that dispatched a team of doctors who crawled under the building and amputated his left arm at the shoulder to get him out. He was then transported to a hospital for treatment. When this accident happened his mom and sister rushed to the hospital in Savanah, Georgia to be with him. I can remember Linda telling me that one of his most painful moments during that time was the feeling that he would never be able to hold his young son in his arms again. It took a long time for his body to heal from that trauma, and even longer for his mental healing. For the remainder of his life, he suffered the effects of phantom pain, feeling pain in the arm and hand that was no longer there. Billy dedicated the rest of his life to raising his son, as a single dad. As of the writing of this story I can attest that he did an awesome job and raised an incredible young man.
At this point Billy is 48 years old and has been informed that he needs open heart surgery to repair/replace heart valves. During the month before surgery, he gained about 40 pounds excess water weight. He was admitted to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky in March 2021 and was subsequently moved to the University of Kentucky Hospital and placed in intensive care on March 16th with surgery scheduled for March 23rd. The week prior to surgery medical staff removed 8 liters of fluid from his body and during the surgery they removed 8 more liters. During surgery doctors replaced one valve, repaired one valve, and corrected an "A fib" condition. His surgery lasted 13 hours before he was sent back to his room. Doctors connected him to an "ECMO" machine, which supported his heart and lungs, so they would not have to work so hard in the initial recovery process, with plans to remove him from that machine in 3 to 5 days. He was progressing satisfactorily, although not as quickly as hoped. He remained on ECMO for 7 days. He was taken back to surgery and removed from ECMO on Tuesday March 30th. He was then taken out of the operating room and returned to his ICU room doing well. About 3 hours later he took a turn for the worse, his body chemistry was out of balance and he was in a crisis condition. His doctor told us that when the body reaches a ph level of 6.9 it could no longer sustain life. His level was at 7.04 and they didn't know why. They worked and were able to bring his ph level back up to 7.2 but still were unable to determine the cause of the problem. They performed x-rays, and an ultra-sound, everything looked normal. They informed us that they wanted to do a complete CT scan of his body to see what was going on but they couldn't because he would not survive being disconnected from the life support equipment that he was on. Gastrointestinal doctors performed and upper GI on him to check for bleeding and found three problems which they corrected. He then developed a fever, Blood tests were done to see if there was infection and where it might be centered. Billy's recovery continued to decline. A CT scan was performed that revealed that he had suffered a massive stroke, paralyzing his left side. Throughout this entire time he never regained consciousness.
On April 3rd, 2021, the family gathered around his bed side along, with his doctor and chaplain, and made the decision to let him go. He was removed from life support and at 1:40 p.m. he passed into the Lords arms.
Billy, you have suffered the pain and darkness of this life. You held your son in your arm, gave him comfort and raised him to be an awesome young man. Your work is done. Now go to your father. He will hold you in his arms, he will give you comfort and take away your pain. Rest in peace with your holy father for eternal life in the heavens above.
This is a snapshot of Billy's story. The young boy, named David, with the school assignment was in my dream, and I believe he was an angel sent from God to let us know that he Is watching over us, to comfort us, with the knowledge that Billy is no longer suffering from chronic back pain and the phantom pain of his arm, but is in the Lords care. He is not taking Billy away from us. He is taking him home to hold him in his arms, comfort him, and grant him peace. (Graciously written by his Dad. Stanley Ray Morgan)
Obituary information curtesy of the family. Find A Grave memorial created by Cadmus ID # 46987840.
United States Navy,
FCSN - Fire Control Technician Seaman,
Persian Gulf War,
Veteran,
Kenneth William "Billy / Ken" Morgan, 48 years 9 months and 8 days of age, of Somerset, Kentucky, departed this life unexpectedly on Saturday, April 3rd, 2021 at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky.
Billy was born in Chula Vista, California on Monday, June 26th, 1972, son of Stanley Ray and Linda Marie Burkett Morgan. Billy proudly served his country in the United States Navy. He was a heavy duty construction worker for several years. Kenneth was a hardworking, kind hearted and generous person. He enjoyed fishing, dart games, and in his younger years golfing. Because of his military background, Kenneth dedicated time and efforts to the American Veterans Organization as well as the local American Legion. He is greatly missed by those who knew and loved him.
Billy was survived by his parents, Stanley and Linda Morgan of Tehachapi, California; one loving son, Cullen Ray Morgan of Louisville, Kentucky; two sisters; Peggy Morgan of Bakersfield, California and Rebecca (and Andreas) Samsa of Wiesbaden, Germany; his wife, Julia Morgan of Florahome, Florida; a step-son, Brandon Pauken; one niece, Amanda Bonilla; one nephew, Christopher Morgan; several great-nieces; and a host of other relatives and friends who mourn his passing.
Graveside service and Inurnment were held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, April 9th, 2021 in the Mill Springs National Cemetery in Nancy, Kentucky.
Full Military Honors were presented by the American Legion Post # 38.
The Somerset Undertaking Company and Crematory in Somerset, Kentucky was in charge of the arrangements for Billy.
THIS IS A TRIBUTE IN MEMORY OF BILLY,
Billy's parents, Linda and Stanley Morgan were sitting in his room, at the University of Kentucky Albert K. Chandler Hospital in Lexington Kentucky, crying when a young boy came into his room and asked why we were crying. His father told him that our little boy was very sick. He said he had a school assignment that was to write a story about someone in the hospital and asked if he could write about Billy. His father said ok and told him a story.
Billy was named Kenneth William Morgan. Everyone called him "Ken" except his family and we always called him Billy. He was raised in and around San Diego, California by his mother, Linda. Being in the United States Navy, I was away from home most of the time and she did an awesome job raising an incredible young man. About the time I was ready to retire from the Navy Billy was ready to enlist in the Navy, so a joint ceremony, on August 1st, 1991, was conducted where I enlisted him in the Navy and immediately thereafter my Commanding Officer retired me from active duty. This is where I will begin his story.
After completing his boot camp and initial training as a Fire Control Technician, where he learned how to operate and repair weapon systems radar equipment, he was assigned to the USS Normandy (CG-60) at Staten Island, New York. While onboard that ship he was experiencing back pain. He was evaluated and when his ship entered port in Rota, Spain he was flown back to the United States where he was to report to the hospital at Bethesda, Maryland. When he arrived, it was winter time. Walking up the steps at the front of the hospital he slipped on the ice, fell and broke his back. He had no option but to lay there until an ambulance could be dispatched to take him to the emergency room. He was admitted to the hospital where doctors repaired his back and placed steel rods along his spine to hold everything in place. Those rods remained in his back for about two years before he went back into surgery to have them removed. Following his recovery, the Navy would no longer certify him fit for sea duty and subsequently issued him a medical discharge and separated him from the service on October 31st, 1995.
Even though he was no longer fit for sea duty his back seemed to be fine and he went to work. Some of his jobs included working at an oil refinery in Somerset Kentucky, and tall structure maintenance. He would climb 500 foot tall smoke stacks then climb inside, evaluate and repair any bad spots that were identified. He also climbed light houses and performed maintenance on them. The most notable was the light house in Daytona, Florida. After that he worked heavy construction for a company that moved buildings. While working in Savannah, Georgia his company was moving a historical building that belonged to the gas company. The job was to move the building 300 feet, clean the soil around the original site then move the building back. While preparing the building to be moved he was working underneath while other members of the crew were working on top. Then, all of a sudden, the building collapsed trapping him underneath in the rubble. During the collapse, a very heavy beam came down, cut the bill off his hard hat in front of his face, then continued down and trapped his left arm. Unable to get out from under the rubble 911 was called. First responders arrived and determined they needed additional help and contacted a local hospital that dispatched a team of doctors who crawled under the building and amputated his left arm at the shoulder to get him out. He was then transported to a hospital for treatment. When this accident happened his mom and sister rushed to the hospital in Savanah, Georgia to be with him. I can remember Linda telling me that one of his most painful moments during that time was the feeling that he would never be able to hold his young son in his arms again. It took a long time for his body to heal from that trauma, and even longer for his mental healing. For the remainder of his life, he suffered the effects of phantom pain, feeling pain in the arm and hand that was no longer there. Billy dedicated the rest of his life to raising his son, as a single dad. As of the writing of this story I can attest that he did an awesome job and raised an incredible young man.
At this point Billy is 48 years old and has been informed that he needs open heart surgery to repair/replace heart valves. During the month before surgery, he gained about 40 pounds excess water weight. He was admitted to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky in March 2021 and was subsequently moved to the University of Kentucky Hospital and placed in intensive care on March 16th with surgery scheduled for March 23rd. The week prior to surgery medical staff removed 8 liters of fluid from his body and during the surgery they removed 8 more liters. During surgery doctors replaced one valve, repaired one valve, and corrected an "A fib" condition. His surgery lasted 13 hours before he was sent back to his room. Doctors connected him to an "ECMO" machine, which supported his heart and lungs, so they would not have to work so hard in the initial recovery process, with plans to remove him from that machine in 3 to 5 days. He was progressing satisfactorily, although not as quickly as hoped. He remained on ECMO for 7 days. He was taken back to surgery and removed from ECMO on Tuesday March 30th. He was then taken out of the operating room and returned to his ICU room doing well. About 3 hours later he took a turn for the worse, his body chemistry was out of balance and he was in a crisis condition. His doctor told us that when the body reaches a ph level of 6.9 it could no longer sustain life. His level was at 7.04 and they didn't know why. They worked and were able to bring his ph level back up to 7.2 but still were unable to determine the cause of the problem. They performed x-rays, and an ultra-sound, everything looked normal. They informed us that they wanted to do a complete CT scan of his body to see what was going on but they couldn't because he would not survive being disconnected from the life support equipment that he was on. Gastrointestinal doctors performed and upper GI on him to check for bleeding and found three problems which they corrected. He then developed a fever, Blood tests were done to see if there was infection and where it might be centered. Billy's recovery continued to decline. A CT scan was performed that revealed that he had suffered a massive stroke, paralyzing his left side. Throughout this entire time he never regained consciousness.
On April 3rd, 2021, the family gathered around his bed side along, with his doctor and chaplain, and made the decision to let him go. He was removed from life support and at 1:40 p.m. he passed into the Lords arms.
Billy, you have suffered the pain and darkness of this life. You held your son in your arm, gave him comfort and raised him to be an awesome young man. Your work is done. Now go to your father. He will hold you in his arms, he will give you comfort and take away your pain. Rest in peace with your holy father for eternal life in the heavens above.
This is a snapshot of Billy's story. The young boy, named David, with the school assignment was in my dream, and I believe he was an angel sent from God to let us know that he Is watching over us, to comfort us, with the knowledge that Billy is no longer suffering from chronic back pain and the phantom pain of his arm, but is in the Lords care. He is not taking Billy away from us. He is taking him home to hold him in his arms, comfort him, and grant him peace. (Graciously written by his Dad. Stanley Ray Morgan)
Obituary information curtesy of the family. Find A Grave memorial created by Cadmus ID # 46987840.
FCSN - Fire Control Technician Seaman,
Persian Gulf War,
Veteran,
Kenneth William "Billy / Ken" Morgan, 48 years 9 months and 8 days of age, of Somerset, Kentucky, departed this life unexpectedly on Saturday, April 3rd, 2021 at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky.
Billy was born in Chula Vista, California on Monday, June 26th, 1972, son of Stanley Ray and Linda Marie Burkett Morgan. Billy proudly served his country in the United States Navy. He was a heavy duty construction worker for several years. Kenneth was a hardworking, kind hearted and generous person. He enjoyed fishing, dart games, and in his younger years golfing. Because of his military background, Kenneth dedicated time and efforts to the American Veterans Organization as well as the local American Legion. He is greatly missed by those who knew and loved him.
Billy was survived by his parents, Stanley and Linda Morgan of Tehachapi, California; one loving son, Cullen Ray Morgan of Louisville, Kentucky; two sisters; Peggy Morgan of Bakersfield, California and Rebecca (and Andreas) Samsa of Wiesbaden, Germany; his wife, Julia Morgan of Florahome, Florida; a step-son, Brandon Pauken; one niece, Amanda Bonilla; one nephew, Christopher Morgan; several great-nieces; and a host of other relatives and friends who mourn his passing.
Graveside service and Inurnment were held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, April 9th, 2021 in the Mill Springs National Cemetery in Nancy, Kentucky.
Full Military Honors were presented by the American Legion Post # 38.
The Somerset Undertaking Company and Crematory in Somerset, Kentucky was in charge of the arrangements for Billy.
THIS IS A TRIBUTE IN MEMORY OF BILLY,
Billy's parents, Linda and Stanley Morgan were sitting in his room, at the University of Kentucky Albert K. Chandler Hospital in Lexington Kentucky, crying when a young boy came into his room and asked why we were crying. His father told him that our little boy was very sick. He said he had a school assignment that was to write a story about someone in the hospital and asked if he could write about Billy. His father said ok and told him a story.
Billy was named Kenneth William Morgan. Everyone called him "Ken" except his family and we always called him Billy. He was raised in and around San Diego, California by his mother, Linda. Being in the United States Navy, I was away from home most of the time and she did an awesome job raising an incredible young man. About the time I was ready to retire from the Navy Billy was ready to enlist in the Navy, so a joint ceremony, on August 1st, 1991, was conducted where I enlisted him in the Navy and immediately thereafter my Commanding Officer retired me from active duty. This is where I will begin his story.
After completing his boot camp and initial training as a Fire Control Technician, where he learned how to operate and repair weapon systems radar equipment, he was assigned to the USS Normandy (CG-60) at Staten Island, New York. While onboard that ship he was experiencing back pain. He was evaluated and when his ship entered port in Rota, Spain he was flown back to the United States where he was to report to the hospital at Bethesda, Maryland. When he arrived, it was winter time. Walking up the steps at the front of the hospital he slipped on the ice, fell and broke his back. He had no option but to lay there until an ambulance could be dispatched to take him to the emergency room. He was admitted to the hospital where doctors repaired his back and placed steel rods along his spine to hold everything in place. Those rods remained in his back for about two years before he went back into surgery to have them removed. Following his recovery, the Navy would no longer certify him fit for sea duty and subsequently issued him a medical discharge and separated him from the service on October 31st, 1995.
Even though he was no longer fit for sea duty his back seemed to be fine and he went to work. Some of his jobs included working at an oil refinery in Somerset Kentucky, and tall structure maintenance. He would climb 500 foot tall smoke stacks then climb inside, evaluate and repair any bad spots that were identified. He also climbed light houses and performed maintenance on them. The most notable was the light house in Daytona, Florida. After that he worked heavy construction for a company that moved buildings. While working in Savannah, Georgia his company was moving a historical building that belonged to the gas company. The job was to move the building 300 feet, clean the soil around the original site then move the building back. While preparing the building to be moved he was working underneath while other members of the crew were working on top. Then, all of a sudden, the building collapsed trapping him underneath in the rubble. During the collapse, a very heavy beam came down, cut the bill off his hard hat in front of his face, then continued down and trapped his left arm. Unable to get out from under the rubble 911 was called. First responders arrived and determined they needed additional help and contacted a local hospital that dispatched a team of doctors who crawled under the building and amputated his left arm at the shoulder to get him out. He was then transported to a hospital for treatment. When this accident happened his mom and sister rushed to the hospital in Savanah, Georgia to be with him. I can remember Linda telling me that one of his most painful moments during that time was the feeling that he would never be able to hold his young son in his arms again. It took a long time for his body to heal from that trauma, and even longer for his mental healing. For the remainder of his life, he suffered the effects of phantom pain, feeling pain in the arm and hand that was no longer there. Billy dedicated the rest of his life to raising his son, as a single dad. As of the writing of this story I can attest that he did an awesome job and raised an incredible young man.
At this point Billy is 48 years old and has been informed that he needs open heart surgery to repair/replace heart valves. During the month before surgery, he gained about 40 pounds excess water weight. He was admitted to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky in March 2021 and was subsequently moved to the University of Kentucky Hospital and placed in intensive care on March 16th with surgery scheduled for March 23rd. The week prior to surgery medical staff removed 8 liters of fluid from his body and during the surgery they removed 8 more liters. During surgery doctors replaced one valve, repaired one valve, and corrected an "A fib" condition. His surgery lasted 13 hours before he was sent back to his room. Doctors connected him to an "ECMO" machine, which supported his heart and lungs, so they would not have to work so hard in the initial recovery process, with plans to remove him from that machine in 3 to 5 days. He was progressing satisfactorily, although not as quickly as hoped. He remained on ECMO for 7 days. He was taken back to surgery and removed from ECMO on Tuesday March 30th. He was then taken out of the operating room and returned to his ICU room doing well. About 3 hours later he took a turn for the worse, his body chemistry was out of balance and he was in a crisis condition. His doctor told us that when the body reaches a ph level of 6.9 it could no longer sustain life. His level was at 7.04 and they didn't know why. They worked and were able to bring his ph level back up to 7.2 but still were unable to determine the cause of the problem. They performed x-rays, and an ultra-sound, everything looked normal. They informed us that they wanted to do a complete CT scan of his body to see what was going on but they couldn't because he would not survive being disconnected from the life support equipment that he was on. Gastrointestinal doctors performed and upper GI on him to check for bleeding and found three problems which they corrected. He then developed a fever, Blood tests were done to see if there was infection and where it might be centered. Billy's recovery continued to decline. A CT scan was performed that revealed that he had suffered a massive stroke, paralyzing his left side. Throughout this entire time he never regained consciousness.
On April 3rd, 2021, the family gathered around his bed side along, with his doctor and chaplain, and made the decision to let him go. He was removed from life support and at 1:40 p.m. he passed into the Lords arms.
Billy, you have suffered the pain and darkness of this life. You held your son in your arm, gave him comfort and raised him to be an awesome young man. Your work is done. Now go to your father. He will hold you in his arms, he will give you comfort and take away your pain. Rest in peace with your holy father for eternal life in the heavens above.
This is a snapshot of Billy's story. The young boy, named David, with the school assignment was in my dream, and I believe he was an angel sent from God to let us know that he Is watching over us, to comfort us, with the knowledge that Billy is no longer suffering from chronic back pain and the phantom pain of his arm, but is in the Lords care. He is not taking Billy away from us. He is taking him home to hold him in his arms, comfort him, and grant him peace. (Graciously written by his Dad. Stanley Ray Morgan)
Obituary information curtesy of the family. Find A Grave memorial created by Cadmus ID # 46987840.
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