Janis Fay Dunning Morris

CARBONDALE - Janis "Jan" Fay Dunning Morris, age 77, of Destin, Florida, passed away on Sunday, April 6, 2025 at Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, FL.

Jan attended University of Houston, Southern Illinois University, and SIU College of Law obtaining a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and Juris Doctorate degree. She also completed coursework for her PhD. She served on many boards throughout her career including Giant City School Board, the YMCA Board, and the Devil’s Kitchen Water Board. She was a sorority sister, a member of P.E.O., Rotary International, First Presbyterian Church in Carterville and more recently Shoreline Church in Destin, and many other formal and informal associations.

She taught school for many years and assisted her husband and daughter in founding a multi-state title company chain. In 1994, she ran for US Congress creating the slogan, “Take Back America” a phrase now used in various forms by politicians of both parties.

Jan was a partner in the family real estate development business. They were days away from completion of their family compound when she passed.

Jan was beautiful, smart, fun, outgoing and beloved by everyone. She was humble, thinking herself not as smart as others close to her. The truth was she was always right about everything all the time.

Jan was known for her generosity yet much more was unseen since she often gave anonymously. Her tithes, offerings and charitable giving were just the starting point. She recently set up a fund for those in financial trouble, rented luxury buses to take youth groups to camp and football teams to games. She always said, “You can’t out give God!”.

She enjoyed a nice meal, and especially a dessert, sewing, taking trips, shopping, spending time with friends, boating, walking, baseball games, and had an amazing knack for “playing” the stock market, but her first love outside of her love of Christ was her family. She put anything and anyone aside for her family. They were her first priority and her great loves. Every decision she made was with one thought, “Is this good for the family?”

Jan met Jim as children, began dating in high school, married in 1970, had two children and 3 grandchildren. The family was inseparable. Jan described these past few years with her family living in Florida as the happiest season of her life.

As much as she loved her family, there was one love to whom no one could compare, her love for Christ. Her greatest accomplishment was that her children and grandchildren love the Lord.

Her message to everyone is to come to the Lord while you still can.

Jan was predeceased by her son, James Hunter Morris, and her parents, Earnest Leon and Juanita Dunning. She is survived by the husband she adored and her constant companion for the past 60+ years, James W. Morris, her treasured daughter of whom she was so proud, Jennifer Aden, her son-in-law who she considered a son, Shane Aden, her precious grandchildren who were her whole world, James Aden (15), Aviana Aden (13), Ancesca “Annie” Aden (10), and many other family members, as well as countless friends.

Funeral services for Jan will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, April 12, 2025, at Meredith Funeral Home in Carbondale, Illinois with Mel Bower officiating. Visitation will be from 9:00 to 11:00 AM on Saturday at the funeral home.

For those who cannot attend the service on Saturday, it will be live streamed by clicking here: Live Stream

Meredith Funeral Home in Carbondale is assisting the family with arrangements. To leave a story or memory of Jan visit www.meredithfh.com.