Susan Jane Morgan

Susan “Jane” Morgan, age 72, passed away August 7, 2023 at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Sherwood, Arkansas. She was born July 14, 1951 in Phillipsburg, Pennsylvania to the late Emory Alex Morgan and Rebecca Kennard Morgan. She was a resident of Heber Springs, Arkansas.

Jane was preceded in death by her mother, Rebecca Morgan; her father, Emory Alex Morgan; and two brothers, Bob Morgan and Mark Morgan, all of Aberdeen, MS.

She is survived by her sister, Alice Ford (Russell) of Quitman, AR; nieces and nephews, Jessica Ford Fincher (Tony), Dusty Ford (Kelsey), Ryan Morgan, Seth Morgan, Gage Fincher, Evie Fincher, Stella Ford and Ripley Ford. 

Jane was a registered nurse and a graduate of the Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University. She began her career with the American Red Cross in 1980 with the Southeast Louisiana Chapter in New Orleans.  

She then became the Chief of Disaster Health Services in the Midwestern Operations Headquarters from 1988-1992. During this period, she served on the Disaster Mental Health Services Task Force which developed the beginning structure, scope and limitations and training for the Red Cross Disaster Mental Health Services (DMHS) program. This led to her becoming the first Associate for DMHS in August 1992. As such, she has been the driving force behind the recognition of the Red Cross as a leader in this field. From 1996-2002, she served as the lead for the development of the Red Cross response plan for aviation disasters.

She led Health Services, Disaster Mental Health Services, and Client Services for the Red Cross nationally and was instrumental in establishing Disaster Spiritual Care for aviation incidents and after 9/11 for mass fatality events including Hurricane Katrina.

Jane served on hundreds of national disaster assignments in both disaster health services and administration. She worked closely with the National Transportation Safety Board in the development of a coordinated response plan for those affected by aviation disasters and then, when human-caused disasters struck like terrorism and school shootings, she worked with the FBI Office of Victims Assistance to coordinate a similar response plan for those affected by these mass fatality events.  She was past president of the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster.

Jane was the recipient of some of Red Cross's highest and most esteemed honors for her humanitarian leadership and she did it all with great humility, strong resolve and deep compassion for ensuring the care of our clients and volunteers was the best it could ever be. Her smile, her genuine joy and love of humanity was reflected in every fiber of her being.

After retirement, Jane moved to Heber Springs in 2018 to be near family and became active in the Baptist Heber Springs Hospital Auxiliary, serving as the Auxiliary President for 2 years. 

A Celebration of Life Service will be August 12 from 4-7 pm at the Heber Springs Resort event room. 2949 Hwy 25-B, Heber Springs, AR.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund or the Baptist Health Medical Center-Heber Springs Auxiliary.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Susan Jane Morgan, please visit our floral store.