The family and friends of Tim Mc Morrow gathered together to celebrate the life of their dear husband, brother (in-law), uncle, colleague and friend. As they gathered and reminisced about Tim’s life and legacy, his attributes of fandom came up in every conversation. Tim was a true fan. One who was curious, carried large affection for, appreciated, supported and did not waver in the things he loved.
Tim was an avid sports fan. NotreDame and the Tigers being the objects of most affection. Tim attended NotreDame after graduating from Hackett Catholic Central, following in the footsteps of his father. His loyalty to The Fighting Irish remained unshaken, even amongst his wife Ann’s loyalty to U of M. The Tigers were also dear to Tim’s heart. If you live in Michigan, you know that there can only be a few true Tigers fans, and Tim was one of them. His support and appreciation for the team was only superseded by his knowledge of the game of baseball itself. It was legendary. Tim’s long time legal assistant, Carol, recalled many a warm summer afternoon in the office where their radios were both tuned in to listen to the game. She laughed as she drifted back through the years to hear Tim shout from his office to hers, “Carol, 3-2. You listening?” And on occasion, “Oh for crying out loud!” when things weren’t falling their way. Tim evoked a love for sports in those around him, engaging them with facts and drawing them in on the excitement.
Tim was a fan of the law. He graduated from U of M law school in 1975 and became renowned in his field. Tim’s titles as a public servant included prosecuting attorney, educator, Chief Appellate and Commissioner to the Michigan Supreme Court amongst others. He knew the law like the back of his hand and taught what he knew to those around him. Tim enjoyed taking time to educate police officers and new recruits. Retired Officer Bill Keiser said this about Tim, “Tim was smart, intelligent and yet very approachable for officers.” He was always willing to take a call or answer a question about the law...answering questions for prosecution, defense and even judges! Tim’s colleague, Jay Stone reflected on the knowledge of his friend, “Tim knew the law like no one else. He was affectionately known as an appellate guru in Michigan for brief writing. Absolutely brilliant.” He laughed, admitting that those in the office often became lazy, deciding not to look something up and just ask Tim. The words “I just checked with Tim” gave weight to anything that followed. Dan Brubaker, Chief Commissioner of the Michigan Supreme Court agreed. After retirement, Tim began to work as a commissioner for the court. Dan says, “Tim successfully made the switch from a prosecutor to a commissioner, able to give fair, balanced, neutral analysis. He went from an advocate to a neutral.” Dan smiled saying how surprised and pleased the court was to acquire Tim and his wealth of knowledge. Tim’s contribution and influence to the law will remain a part of his legacy here in Michigan and beyond.
Tim was a fan of knowledge. His knowledge and expertise were vast and unparalleled. The family laughed as they remembered playing Trivial Pursuit with Tim. The rules were changed so that Tim was a team consisting only of himself….and instead of rolling for one question per card, Tim had to answer all the questions on the card correctly in order to get a point. The crazy thing was….he did! He even took into account when the version they were playing was published. If the answer had changed due to the publishing date, he would give both answers. Tim’s brother in law said this of Tim, “He remembered every fact he ever heard. You may hear Tim say he didn’t know something, but you never heard him say that he’d forgotten. He just didn’t forget a fact.” “Brilliant” was a term often used by those who came to pay respects. Interestingly enough, it was often quickly followed by the word “humble”. He never made anyone feel less than, or put himself on a pedestal. He was brilliant, but he was anything but arrogant. Mastering those two things was part of what made Tim unique.
Last and most importantly, Tim was a fan of his family. He demonstrated his faith in the way he loved those closest to him. He loved his wife Ann deeply and devoted over 40 years to being her loving husband. Tim loved his family and Ann’s equally. Devoting time to get to know in-laws, nieces and nephews, young and old. Tim was always the one passing out cigars at weddings and funerals, gathering young and old alike to celebrate family and love. Tim’s great nephew, Waylon came to say goodbye to Tim and see his Great Aunt Ann at the visitation. His five year old legs climbed up the kneeling bench and he promptly dropped a card he had made into the casket. From across the room you could hear him say, “I miss Uncle Tim”. Ann hugged him as she knelt next to him, “I do too”.
Tim Mc Morrow. Loving, humble, brilliant, a true fan.
“Humility and love, there you have it. This is everything.”
Saint Paisios