Bud Hugh Morris passed away on Saturday, August 22, 2026 in Sioux Falls, SD. There will be a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 am Friday, August 28, 2026 at St. Paul's Catholic Church in White, SD.  A visitation will take place an hour prior, at 9:30 am.

Bud Hugh Morris was born during a blizzard on March 8, 1958, in rural Hendricks, Minnesota, to Robert L. Morris and Carol (Gill) Morris. From his early years in Minnesota and South Dakota to his many years of service, aviation work, and family life in Arizona, Michigan and Kentucky, Bud lived a full and meaningful life filled with hard work, adventure, love, and devotion to those closest to him.

Bud attended elementary school at Fountain Country School near Aurora and Brookings Central. His family moved to White, SD and he graduated from Deubrook High School in White, South Dakota in 1976. That same year, he answered the call to serve his country by entering the United States Air Force. He began his military career at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. He was then stationed in Zaragoza, Spain from 1977 to 1978 and in Osan, South Korea, from 1979 to 1980. During his service, Bud received specialized training as an aviation mechanic that led him to his dream career.

Following his military service, Bud continued his passion for aviation. He attended Aviation School of Mechanics in Phoenix, Arizona and then worked at Hamilton Aviation in Tucson, Arizona, until 1985. His career brought him to Michigan, where he worked at Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti, MI from 1985 to 1989 and then at Kalitta Air Cargo in Belleville MI from 1989 to 1993. Bud became responsible for fleet operations involving Boeing 747 aircraft, a position he held for many years. From 1993 until 2022, he worked for U.S. Jet Airlines at Willow Run Airport in Belleville, Michigan.

Bud was known for his patience, attention to detail, and particular nature when it came to doing a job right.

In 1995, Bud found something even more special to his heart: his “dear Bonnie Haley.” The two were married in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, on July 8, 1995. Together, they built a beautiful life and home in Ypsilanti, Michigan, sharing it with their beloved dogs, Whitey and Ole Blue. Bud and Bonnie enjoyed the simple pleasures of life together. They loved cooking and grilling, visiting antique shops and flea markets, listening to music, and going out to eat. Weekends often found them traveling to Banner, Kentucky, after purchasing Bonnie’s family home on Haus Branch Holler. Bud poured his heart and many hours of hard work into rebuilding and remodeling the home, which would eventually become their retirement home and a place filled with memories and family. Family was especially important to Bud. He treasured frequent visits from all his family and particularly enjoyed spending time by the lake with their niece Kim Warren and her family.

In 2024, Buddy’s life changed in ways no one could have imagined. On his birthday, he lost his beloved Bonnie from heart failure and just one week after her funeral, he began cancer treatment. Buddy fought cancer not once, not twice, but three times, meeting each challenge with courage, determination, and a strength that inspired those around him.

Through all the hardship, life eventually came full circle. Buddy moved to Hendricks, Minnesota, to be closer to his mother and family. Coincidentally, he became next door neighbors with his best friend from high school, Rick Hammer. With his faithful new pup, Duke, by his side, he found a renewed sense of home and purpose.

Buddy poured his heart into restoring a historic house, bringing new life to a place filled with character and stories of its own. He took pride in the work of his hands and in creating a home where family and friends could gather. And gather they did; most recently in June, Bud hosted his mother’s 90th birthday party. He was often around the grill or smoker, where Buddy had a gift for turning good food into cherished memories. He loved grilling and smoking delicious meats for the people he cared about, and those meals were about so much more than food. They were about laughter, conversation, quality time, love, friendship, and family time.

Buddy leaves behind memories that will live on in the people he loved, the home he restored, the meals he shared, and the many lives he touched along the way. Bud will be remembered for his dedication, his love of aviation, his willingness to work hard, his particular attention to detail, and most of all, his love for Bonnie, his family, his dogs and his friends. His life took him from the snowy plains of Minnesota and South Dakota to military bases around the world and eventually to Michigan and Kentucky, where he created a home and a life filled with love and memories.

Blessed to have shared life with Bud is his mother, Carol Morris, Hendricks; brother Robert L. Morris II (Susan), Belle Fourche, SD; Deb Morris (Gary) Mountain Home, AK; Carolyn Schroeder, Sioux Falls, SD; Kathleen Monfore (Barry), Pierre, SD; Tam Morris, Brookings, SD; Gayleen Morris, Sioux Falls; Betsy Morris, Clearwater, FLA. Jodi Goya, Denver, CO.; Bonnie’s 2 sons and three grandsons, Logan, Roy, Jr. and Brett Haley; several special nieces and nephews; great-nieces and great-nephews; several beloved cousins and cousins’ cousins; and dear friends, old and new.

Bud was preceded in death by his wife, Bonnie Haley; his father, Robert L. Morris; brothers, Todd, Timothy and Thomas Morris; nephew, Brooks Monfore; and his furry children Whitey and Ole Blue.

A special thank you to our family for taking such loving and wonderful care of Buddy during this fragile time, especially his ‘caregivers extraordinaire’ brother-in-law and sister Gary and Debbie, and sister Kathleen. We are deeply grateful for the love, compassion, and unwavering support. We are also thankful for the couple days Bud spent at the VA Hospice Cottages where he received exceptional loving care and honor in his final journey to his heavenly home.