Dr. Morgan Cole Powell passed away on September 30, 2024, surrounded by his family. He was born on February 27, 1936, to Muriel (Freehill) and John Roger Powell.

Powell spent his childhood in Champaign, Illinois, alongside his brother Roger and sister Julann. He attended Holy Cross, Champaign High School, and the University of Illinois, excelling both academically and athletically. As a first baseman for the university baseball team , Powell later pursued his medical education in Chicago, earning a Doctorate in Orthodontics. Powell also served in the U.S. Navy Reserves as a commander and was a dentist to the Marines.

His professional career began in the Northeast, where Powell lived in New York City and New England. Eventually, he returned to Champaign, where he settled with his four children and dedicated himself to his work as an orthodontist and community leader, serving the Champaign-Urbana and Monticello areas.

Powell held several leadership roles in the field of parks and recreation, including serving as commissioner and president of both the Champaign Park District and Illinois Association of Park Districts, and was named Commissioner of the Year in 1985. He believed every community member deserved access to nearby parks for recreation and social connection. Powell Park in west Champaign is named in his honor, recognizing his decades of volunteer service and leadership. He was also active on various local business boards, was a Board of Trustees member for NRPA and remained a devoted University of Illinois alumnus throughout his life.

Known for his generosity, kindness and thoughtfulness, Powell was always eager to help others. According to Powell's obituary, "He never passed up an opportunity to give to or help others, whether it be calling in a favor for a friend or giving a child free braces."

Powell will be dearly missed as a loving father, grandfather, spouse, brother, uncle, friend, and community servant.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Terri (Gaylor) Powell; his former spouse, Sandra (Burch) Powell, with whom he shares four children and eight grandchildren; his son, Thomas Powell; and his brother, J. Roger Powell. Powell is survived by his children and their spouses: Sharla (Powell) and Scott Stevenson, Margo (Powell) and Glenn Thomas, Daniel and Tracy Powell; his eight grandchildren: Cole, Luke, and Lydia Stevenson, Haley (Thomas) and Coby McNeal, Reed and Jackson Thomas, and Aveleen and Brady Powell; and his sister, Julann (Powell) and her spouse John Boatner.