Obituaries

Recent Obituaries
In Memoriam Archive

Scholar of Chinese Culture and Language

Alex Morgan ’21

March 7, 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee, of brain cancer.

Alex Morgan, born December 1, 1998, lived authentically and truthfully, basking in their vast interests: cephalopods, Earl Grey, blueberry milkshakes, the band the Mountain Goats, Studio Ghibli movies, “repurposed” black clothing, and Life of Pi. On the flip side, they stuck by their convictions about what they hated, too: inequality, lemons, Amazon, arrogance, and the fact that George R.R. Martin still hasn’t finished writing the sixth book in the Song of Ice and Fire series.

In high school, Alex was a quiz bowl champion, cofounder of a social justice group, and Senior of the Year. Their touchstones throughout their life were language and books. Alex was known for frequently devouring a book a day, typically science fiction and fantasy. They wrote both short- and long-form fiction, and bonded with others about their love of ideas, often exchanging book recommendations.

When Alex came to Reed, they explored these passions by studying comparative literature. A scholar of Chinese culture and language, Alex studied in China at Peking University in 2020. Their thesis, completed under Prof. Alexei Ditter [Chinese], reflected on femininity, masculinity, and adolescence in two mid-Qing-Dynasty novels.

Shortly after their graduation from Reed, Alex was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and underwent treatment while pursuing a master’s degree in library science at the University of Washington.

Alex practiced Judaism, taking comfort in the mysteries of faith. They are survived by their fiancée, Jessica Riaño, and their parents, David Morgan and Karen Bloch, and their brother, Nicholas Morgan. By their loved ones, Alex will be remembered for their wit, wisdom, and unfailing empathy, gentleness, and kindness.

Appeared in Reed magazine: Fall 2024

comments powered by Disqus