Memorial services for Albert Hugh "Skip" Morgan II, 53, will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Rialto Congregational Church. He was found dead Wednesday of heart disease at his Riverside home.
Skipper, who was born in San Bernardino, lived in Riverside almost 20 years. He grew up in Rialto and also lived for awhile in Snow Creek Village near Palm Springs. He was a reporter for The Press-Enterprise from 1980 until his death.
He worked in the paper's Corona and Palm Springs bureaus, but spent most of his career based in Riverside, where he covered health issues and Riverside County government. At the time of his death, he was the night general assignment reporter in Riverside.
He graduated from Eisenhower High School in Rialto. He attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., then graduated with a degree in journalism from San Diego State University.
Mr. Morgan was a volunteer instructor at the San Diego Multi-Cultural Journalism Workshop for high-school journalists for the past three summers.
He joined the U.S. Army in 1968 and covered combat action in Vietnam as a correspondent for Stars and Stripes from 1969 until 1972. He worked for four other Southern California newspapers before he joined The Press-Enterprise.
Skip and I were in Journalism with Mr. Scray for two years. I remember his great sports columns...even in high school, he always had a great vocabulary for grabbing your attention so ;you would read the article. So sad to lose him so early.
in the mid 1950s- skipper,his younger brother greg , and myself,were intreped explorers throughout a great many orange groves and other properties that Skips' dad -Albert Hugh MorganII-(who had a degree from Harvard Business School) managed for himself as well as other owners. Skips' dad Al reffered to the three f us as "squirrels" for some unknown reason. I can vividly recall the four of us in the crowded cab of the old oxidized red Mack flatbed truck making the somewhat familiar rounds of agricultural stops in north Rialto and Bloomington.While Al was occupied with irrigation duties and related mundane responsibilities the three "squirrels" would climb/explore the windbreaks,play ditchem, cowboys, pirates,-often build temp. forts out of the wooden orange packing boxes when available. I recall the somewhat nieve optimism,and pollyannish feelings we all shared at this time -we were ten year old kids(Stand by me)-this had to be the most halcyon of days in Rialtos relatively short history & each of us was destined to be somebody important. Although most of our dreams did not transpire as we ea. had imagined- I was fortunate enough to retire in Montana/ atrue slice of Heaven-I hope, I pray ,that Skipper did not die ALONE. I will say that I loved him as a childhood friend!
What I remember most about Skip was tyaking dance lessons with him and Joann Hall and Vickie Hoillister in the Americasn Legion Hall on Lilac ther summer between 6th and 7th grade.
Skip and I were good friends in high school. He had a great sense of humor and was always very funny. Unfortunately, he also seemed to be an easy target for pranksters, which in hindsight is obviously quite sad. (These days, we'd probably say he was bullied). In the end though, I think we would all be hard pressed to find anyone who didn't like Skip.
One of my strongest memories of Skip is that, in ninth grade, he taught me how to handicap horse races. As a 14 year old, he was already doing it and was very good. I got pretty good too but, since I was only 14, never actually did anything with it and lost interest by the ripe old age of 15. I'd be surprised if he didn't continue with it and actually put it into practice when he could legally do so. Seriously though, how many ninth graders are handicapping horses? That was Skip
Skip was a "colorful" character and always fun to be around. Definitely one of the good guys. I miss him.
Hey Steve. I actually remember Skip trying to use the Daily Racing Form to show me how he handicapped horses. I think it was in Mr. Keegan's math class. He showed me and Bill Mulllins how he looked at track conditions, the jockey, past races etc., etc. If Skipper had put half the effort into math he probably would have gotten a scholarship to college. He was a fun guy. Quick with a joke and smart too! I remember being sad when I first heard about his death. Way too young. Bill
Skip and I shared an abiding interest in sports. He missed a day of school to stand in line to buy tickets to the 1963 World Series. We went to the fourth and final game to watch the Dodgers sweep the Yankees. It is one of the great memories of my life. I wil really miss seeing Skip and talking sports like old times.
Cameron Monk
Obituary:
Memorial services for Albert Hugh "Skip" Morgan II, 53, will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Rialto Congregational Church. He was found dead Wednesday of heart disease at his Riverside home.
Skipper, who was born in San Bernardino, lived in Riverside almost 20 years. He grew up in Rialto and also lived for awhile in Snow Creek Village near Palm Springs. He was a reporter for The Press-Enterprise from 1980 until his death.
He worked in the paper's Corona and Palm Springs bureaus, but spent most of his career based in Riverside, where he covered health issues and Riverside County government. At the time of his death, he was the night general assignment reporter in Riverside.
He graduated from Eisenhower High School in Rialto. He attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., then graduated with a degree in journalism from San Diego State University.
Mr. Morgan was a volunteer instructor at the San Diego Multi-Cultural Journalism Workshop for high-school journalists for the past three summers.
He joined the U.S. Army in 1968 and covered combat action in Vietnam as a correspondent for Stars and Stripes from 1969 until 1972. He worked for four other Southern California newspapers before he joined The Press-Enterprise.
Martha Price (Allen)
Skip and I were in Journalism with Mr. Scray for two years. I remember his great sports columns...even in high school, he always had a great vocabulary for grabbing your attention so ;you would read the article. So sad to lose him so early.
John Hesse
in the mid 1950s- skipper,his younger brother greg , and myself,were intreped explorers throughout a great many orange groves and other properties that Skips' dad -Albert Hugh MorganII-(who had a degree from Harvard Business School) managed for himself as well as other owners. Skips' dad Al reffered to the three f us as "squirrels" for some unknown reason. I can vividly recall the four of us in the crowded cab of the old oxidized red Mack flatbed truck making the somewhat familiar rounds of agricultural stops in north Rialto and Bloomington.While Al was occupied with irrigation duties and related mundane responsibilities the three "squirrels" would climb/explore the windbreaks,play ditchem, cowboys, pirates,-often build temp. forts out of the wooden orange packing boxes when available. I recall the somewhat nieve optimism,and pollyannish feelings we all shared at this time -we were ten year old kids(Stand by me)-this had to be the most halcyon of days in Rialtos relatively short history & each of us was destined to be somebody important. Although most of our dreams did not transpire as we ea. had imagined- I was fortunate enough to retire in Montana/ atrue slice of Heaven-I hope, I pray ,that Skipper did not die ALONE. I will say that I loved him as a childhood friend!
Phyllis Lawson (Hagmann)
What I remember most about Skip was tyaking dance lessons with him and Joann Hall and Vickie Hoillister in the Americasn Legion Hall on Lilac ther summer between 6th and 7th grade.
Steve Murray
Skip and I were good friends in high school. He had a great sense of humor and was always very funny. Unfortunately, he also seemed to be an easy target for pranksters, which in hindsight is obviously quite sad. (These days, we'd probably say he was bullied). In the end though, I think we would all be hard pressed to find anyone who didn't like Skip.
One of my strongest memories of Skip is that, in ninth grade, he taught me how to handicap horse races. As a 14 year old, he was already doing it and was very good. I got pretty good too but, since I was only 14, never actually did anything with it and lost interest by the ripe old age of 15. I'd be surprised if he didn't continue with it and actually put it into practice when he could legally do so. Seriously though, how many ninth graders are handicapping horses? That was Skip
Skip was a "colorful" character and always fun to be around. Definitely one of the good guys. I miss him.
Bill Dobberpuhl
Hey Steve. I actually remember Skip trying to use the Daily Racing Form to show me how he handicapped horses. I think it was in Mr. Keegan's math class. He showed me and Bill Mulllins how he looked at track conditions, the jockey, past races etc., etc. If Skipper had put half the effort into math he probably would have gotten a scholarship to college. He was a fun guy. Quick with a joke and smart too! I remember being sad when I first heard about his death. Way too young. Bill
Bill Mullins
Skip and I shared an abiding interest in sports. He missed a day of school to stand in line to buy tickets to the 1963 World Series. We went to the fourth and final game to watch the Dodgers sweep the Yankees. It is one of the great memories of my life. I wil really miss seeing Skip and talking sports like old times.
Bill Mullins