John A. Morrow

John Alvin Morrow, a determined and indomitable spirit, passed away at the age of 73 on October 15, 2025, at his home in Bettendorf after an intense battle with lung cancer. He was born to Rosie and Loren Morrow on January 6th, 1952, in Ottumwa, Iowa, where he served as an altar boy at the local Catholic parish, taking pride in his memorization of Latin religious phrases. As a teen, he was exposed to the Japanese combat art of judo, which ignited what would become a lifelong passion and career in martial arts. He opened the doors to his business, Morrow’s Academy of Martial Arts, on October 15, 1978, where he taught Shaolin Chuan Kung-fu to countless Quad Citians for almost 47 years.

Martial arts was even the catalyst for the great love story of John’s life, when he was introduced to Katie at a karate tournament where he was a referee. They were united in marriage on May 14, 1977. He found his best audience in Katie, and he often had her in stitches even at unexpected times. They welcomed their daughter, Jennifer Leigh, into their family in 1979 and their son, John Ryan, in 1981. One of John’s joys was teaching his children how to punch and kick, and he initiated lots of physical play with them when they were little.

John was known for his sometimes dry and always "punny" sense of humor. He was delighted to introduce friends to one of his favorite activities: throwing an assortment of sharp objects (including knives, bayonets, throwing stars, saw blades, filed down screwdrivers, etc.) at a target in his yard, and he appreciated a well-placed triple word score on the Scrabble board. This man could not eat pie without ice cream! He always enjoyed a frosty mug of root beer with his Happy Joe’s pizza. He had a match-winning spinning back kick, found meaning in teaching self-defense to women, and was an active member of the Quad Cities Morning Optimist Club, whose creed influenced how he lived his life. John leaves behind a legacy of positivity, terrible driving, and quick wit.

John is survived by his wife, Katherine Morrow nee Bentler; daughter, Jennifer (Saeed) Morrow; son, Ryan (Alison) Morrow; 3 wonderful grandchildren, Grace, Liam, and Penelope Morrow; siblings Mark (Janice) Morrow, Kathi (Marty) Vince, Karen (Mark) McVey, Jeff Morrow, and Steven Morrow; siblings-in-law John (Ruth) Bentler, Rebecca Bentler, Rich (Diana) Bentler, Lynn (Tony) Fedler, Peg (Kenny) Welcher, Larry (Wendy) Bentler

John was preceded in death by his parents, Loren & Rosie (Mascaro) Morrow; brother, Mike Morrow; niece, Adie Morrow; parents-in-law LeRoy & Jerry (Rooney) Bentler

A public visitation will be held from 2:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 19th at the McGinnis-Chambers Funeral Home in Bettendorf.  We invite you to wear a Morrow's Academy or martial arts themed t-shirt if you have one.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to Kids Against Hunger or Cancer Support Community (Gilda’s Club)