Friends of WAM

It is an age of "selfies" so I have a seen several group shots from golf outings and random gatherings. Still I am keenly aware of those pictures that exist from 1980 (the year I married Lynn and the same year that my close friend Dave Brunner married Dianne) and prior to that time. I am also becoming more and more aware od the precious moments in time in which I enjoy the here and now. I have always been a social person (extroverted and open to new friends). 

Above: That's Dave and hi brother surrounded by groomsmen and best man (me) on October 11, 1980. Mark Errington, Jim McNea, Bos Seelie, and Wes Morgan (last one in back row). Ken Brunner (Dave's dad) was coach of St. Clement CYO team. St. Luke beat them in the Rosary Bowl when Dave and I were in 8th grade at St. Clement and St. Luke respectively.

  

Dave Drimer (with wife Donna above) has been a deer friend since college, That's Wes Morgan, my brother Greg Morgan, Dave Drimer and Steve Manzi visiting the Edgewater Drive Morgan backyard overlooking Lake Erie in Lakewood, Ohio. We lost Dave in April 2026 after a heart valve replacement he had a heart attack and spent another 3 weeks in the hospital before he passed. I am devastated as I ponder my wife passing in Feb 2022. We'll remain Hurricanes forever, Dave and Lynn.

That's Rick and Emelio and Wes working a National Association of Admissions Counselors fair in New York City, Dave Drimer was there too. Maybe he took this picture. (Columbus Circle as I recall). Dave gave a fun toast at the wedding of my daughter Lindsey to Chris Dewey in 2014 at Jeckle Island, Georgia. He recalled a time when Lindsey was just a toddler out on the town for a day in NYC (from Hoboken, NJ). 

It was fun gathering four of the six Morgan siblings on the occasion of the marriage of Ben Morgan to Allison Farrar. This photo was taken at the Key Biscayne Beach Club. I think Dan supplied the St. Luke Crusader caps. Rob, Greg, Wes and Dan huddle with Dad (James O'C Morgan b. July 1918 ...94 years). Wedding at Matheson Hammock in Miami on 10-27-2012 "The Best Day Ever".

My dad taught me two things about the game of golf: 1. Play fast and 2. Hit it as hard as you can. I've been trying to unlearn those things ever since. I found the HBE golf league in the 1990's. HBE folded after founder Fred Kummer died in April 2021. A Hearty group of golfers (mostly from HBE) have kept Thursday night gold league alive. Lately, we convene at a shade tree adjacent the Creve Coeur Golf Course parking lot. Don Pickens, Darryl Vandiver, Wes Morgan. Joe Voss, Greg Miles, Tony Augustine, Rand Niederer, George Robin, Front: Jerry Petry, Fred Scott, Dave Cox. That's Pete Conant, Wes Morgan and Fred Scott with the league trophy. (My assigned handicap at the time qualified for our three man team to win that year.)

This family picture (from another wedding) has us all flanked by dad (James O'Connell Morgan b. July 20,1918 d. 2013) on the left and Mom (Mary Francis Lawton Morgan b. February 26, 1922 d. 2011).  

  

Thanks to Lindsey, who arranged a professional photographer this New Jersey photo in Ben's backyard in Ocean, New Jersey the Matriarch is flanked by Deborah Stevens Scvhatzow, David Schatzow, Autumn and Perry Schatzow, with Marlow (knockout) and Samson Schatzow. Max and Mary Schatzow with Lily and Daniel, Ben and Allison Morgan and Wes (in black) with Randy Zendell. James is looking left to Matriarch and Lawton is on the Right with Lindsey. 

 

Perry Drake and his wife Rhonda moved back to St. Louis in 2013 after teaching Marketing at New York University, Perry decided to pursue a PhD in Digital Marketing at the University of Missouri - St. Louis (UMSL). His wife died in 2021 of Cancer. Perry hatched an ongoing annual commitment to Marketing with the Midwest Digital Marketing Conference attracting over 300 participant at the J C Penny building on campus. MDMC grew and hosted over 2,000 participants prior to COVID 19 made them downsize. I met Perry at the AMA St Louis chapter annual conference in Spring of 2013. We've been friends since. I am an honored member of the UMSL Marketing Council. Drake and marketing students and select faculty members like Marketing professor Michael and others have supported AMA's annual golf outing. 

Mary Ross took this selfie with Matt Lipstrue, Peg Cleary (maybe 2024) at a reunion at Around the Corner in Lakewood. Mary was in my Art Class with Phyllis Koehring (she married coach Fannen). Matt lived on Summit (the center of the universe) and Peg Cleary is part of that gang from St. Clement. Peg was an associate of the late Bob Seelie (Lakewood City Councilman). Bob was among those at wedding of Dave and Dianne Brunner in 1980.

Married Lynn Stevens on October 8, 1980. I flew to Lakewood to be Dave Brunner's Best Man on October 11, 1980. Dave Brunner's mom asked me: Where is your new bride, Wes? My answer brought a smile: She's still in Miami on her honeymoon. 

(RIP Bing b. 3/30/1956 d. 2/3/2022) 

I've lived in Saint Louiis since 1996. I worked for two flagship advertising firms, TBWA Chiat Day and Darcy before account migration (i.e. the merger of Boatmen's Bank with Nation's Bank and eventually Bank of America, and Southwestern Bell and Pacific Bell consolidation back to AT&T). I decided to stay put, instead of chasing another advertising agency position. So I became a client with HBE as head of marketing. That decision to stay in Saint Louis solidified my involvement with the American Marketing Association. HBE got me involved with golf at Creve Coeur Golf Course. Along the way my friend Dave Cox convinced me to participate in Rowdy Golf trips to the Ozarks where a band of us played 18-27-36 or more holes a day for a crash n burn experience (around 2001-2008).

Rowdy golfer foursome at Cardinals Baseball Game. Wes, Dave, Tom Shaughnessy, Rowdy Jones. We play together less often, but when we do it's because "the Band is getting back together, Lads".

AMA hosted an advertising panel in 2000. Dave Shogren took this photo and it was picked up by Adweek. John Lewington of Maryville University, Tom Townsend of Rogers-Townsend, Wes Morgan, Cliff Franklin of Fuse, Mark Kempter of Core and Arlo from D'Arcy. 

Steve Williams, Sally Eaton, Jane House, Vickie Napier, Wes Morgan, Steve O'Rourke, Linda Jones. The Marketing department at HBE (circa 1998). 

John and his brother Jeff Kristofeld with Wes Morgan, Melissa and Chris Galloway ready for boat ride on the Lake of the Ozarks (circa 2024)

Bill and Tars Ellis photo with me at their third anniversary party. Bill is podcaster of: What's the Point? and Tara is a global PR business owner in DuBai. Bill worked at Anheuser Busch for 25 yrs before reinventing himself as author and branding expert. He has served as MC for AMA St. Louis annual conference several times.