Morgan

William A. Morgan Jr., 78, of Butler died Sunday at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh.

Born Dec. 13, 1929, in Butler, he was the son of the late William A. Morgan Sr. and the late Opal I. (Fisher) Morgan.

Mr. Morgan started his career as an entrepreneur as a small boy delivering newspapers in Meridian, where he walked up and back a half-mile lane, all for 2 cents per paper.

He made his first fortune while still a business administration student at Grove City College, when he noticed service men carried their discharge papers in clear, protective sleeves. Morgan, who was working for a funeral home at the time, realized he could laminate obituaries for funeral directors to give to the families of the deceased. He soon was making more money than the college professors and made enough to buy two new cars, put himself through college and buy his first restaurant in 1953, Dight's Diner, on Washington Street, at the age of 21. This was the beginning of a chain of 52 restaurants serving Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio.

Since then, he has had his business and offices in Butler. After the purchase of the diner, he built Morgan's Wonder boy Drive In at Bon Aire, which had the first Teletray Curb Service in Pennsylvania. About 1955, Bill became the fifth Kentucky Fried Chicken franchiser in the United States and opened a Kentucky Fried Chicken Carry Out beside the diner. The Garden Gate restaurant was purchased in 1964; and two years later, Morgan's Wonder Boy was opened on North Main Street Extension. In 1970, the restaurant chain was sold. His retirement lasted less than two years. About this time, Bill was commissioned a Kentucky Colonel.

In 1972, Bill bought the Spaide Shirt Factory on Brugh Avenue, which was built in 1918. He converted it into a beautiful, professional office complex; and it received the highest award in the United States shortly after the renovation, the Honor Award for Excellence in Design. The building was destroyed by a fire in 2003.

He then purchased the Nixon Hotel site and the Morgan Center came into reality on East Diamond Street. He also developed 10,000 square feet at the Tier Parking Garage into two offices.

He developed 8½ acres at Eastland Plaza for a diner, office building and warehouse. The diner was sold in 2003, and he built on its site, Morgan II, a medical office building, which was sold in 2007.

Mr. Morgan developed and built the first modern automatic car wash in Butler in 1969 on Route 8 North and operated it until it was sold in 1986. He again owned and operated it from February 2002 to January 2003.

In 1976, a second car wash was built on New Castle Road, with an addition of five self-service bays and was operated by Mr. Morgan until 1991. In March 2002, he again obtained ownership of the site, and it opened as a laser wash. He also had a tractor-trailer fleet, which hauled mushrooms from the Butler County Mushroom Farm, a Shasta Travel Trailer Sales and contracted Stylex Homes in the area. Through his many businesses, he not only provided many jobs on his payroll but also used local contactors and suppliers.

He currently owned and managed professional office buildings and a laser car wash.

A member of numerous professional organizations, he was a former member of the Irene Stacy Mental Health Board, was on the original Sparkplug Committee of the Butler County Chamber of Commerce, a board member of the Downtown Butler Renaissance Committee, served on the United Way of Butler County, was chairman of the American Cancer Society in 1973, a former member of the Butler Memorial Hospital Board, was president of the Chamber of Commerce from 1977 to 1978, was presented with the key to the city of Butler in 2000 and was a Chamber of Commerce board member in 2003. In 2005, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award, and he also received the inaugural Entrepreneur of the Year Award by the chamber, which bears his name.

He belonged to the Syria Temple and Scottish Rite and was a lifetime member of Grove City Lodge 603. He was a member of the Butler Country Club. He was a proud member of the AA for 25Z\x years.

He was a pilot and owned his own plane since the 1960s. He enjoyed traveling and golf.

Mr. Morgan Jr. is survived by one daughter, Mrs. Jeffery T. (Nancy) McCarren of Butler; two sons, David W. Morgan and Robert C. Morgan of Butler; four grandchildren; one sister, Mrs. Eugene J. (Patricia) Houllion of Butler; three nieces; and a number of cousins. Lois Mergenthalera, devoted corporate secretary to Mr. William Morgan Jr., for 48 years, also survives.

<B>MORGAN</B> — Friends of William A. Morgan Jr., who died Sunday, Nov. 30, 2008, will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at the <B>Thompson-Miller Funeral Home</B>, 124 E. North St. Services will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at First United Methodist Church with the Rev. J. David Panther officiating. Private interment will follow in Butler County Memorial Park.Contributions may be made to Ellen O'Brien Gaiser Addiction Center, P.O. Box 2127, Butler, PA 16003.Information and a private guest book are available at www.thompson-miller.com.