By Kayla Tucker
mlive.com
GRANT, Mich. — Sgt. Don Morsaw was known for helping others.
The Grant police officer was known to buy a hot meal for someone who was going to jail.
He bought an auto part for a young woman he pulled over in a traffic stop after he found out she was struggling financially.
One time, he bought $300 worth of groceries for a family after finding out they didn’t have any food at home. He often bought gas cards for people.
Even on the day Morsaw died, he was caring for others.
On Saturday, Sept. 6, Morsaw ran a 5K in Alpena .
While running, he struck up conversation with a disabled veteran who was struggling on his prosthetics. After several attempts, the veteran chose to exit the race.
As Morsaw approached the finish line, he went back for the veteran, now wheelchair-bound, so they could cross the finish line together.
“He didn’t know this guy, he just met him,” said Police Chief Jon Patterson . “He wasn’t going to let him not finish and he wasn’t going to let him do it alone.”
After the race, Morsaw suffered a medical emergency that turned fatal. He was 57 years old.
There are five other police officers in the small West Michigan department. Officials were choked up after the loss of their coworker and friend.
“Don was just different, man. He was awesome,” said Grant School Resource Officer Andrez Ledezma . “He would buy food for people he was taking to jail, knowing this might be their last meal (outside) for a while, to make them feel more human.”
Det. Sgt. David Israel said he heard stories from people who interacted with Morsaw about how he paid someone’s car insurance bill for the month or replaced all four of their tires.
When Israel would ask Morsaw later about what he did, Morsaw would simply respond: “It’s not about me. I’m just a vessel.”
“Don wasn’t a rich person, but he was rich in spirit,” Israel said.
Hearing about how Morsaw died after one final act of kindness, Israel said: “That’s such a ‘Don thing’ to do.”
Ledezma said he and others are “absolutely devastated” by Morsaw’s death.
“He definitely embodies what every police officer should strive to be,” Israel said. “Taking those extra moments to ask those questions, not just brush through things because they’re standard.”
Morsaw joined the Grant Police Department in 2018.
He was passionate about getting drunk drivers off the road, Patterson said, adding that Morsaw was proud to have won a MADD ( Mothers Against Drunk Driving ) Lifesaver award.
That was unique because typically Morsaw was very humble and didn’t want attention himself.
“Everything we’re doing for him (now), he’d be yelling at us,” Patterson said, with a chuckle. “Because he didn’t want the attention.”
A couple years ago while reviewing Morsaw’s body camera footage of a traffic stop, Patterson’s attention was piqued when he heard singing.
“He had made it back up to the car and it was the girl’s birthday and he was literally singing her ‘Happy Birthday’ on the side of the road at two in the morning,” Patterson said. “And he sang the entire song.
“That’s the kind of stuff he did. He was serious when he needed to be, but he was always looking for ways to go out of his way and be purposeful and how to help out community.”
“It wasn’t just about making calls and traffic stops. He genuinely cared about people and making sure they had food to eat and they had gas in their cars. The last thing he did on this earth was doing the same thing.”
Morsaw was a lifelong resident of White Cloud, according to his obituary.
He is survived by a wife, two children, seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He was preceded in death by his first wife, the mother of his children.
Morsaw served in the Navy and previously worked for the Newaygo County Sheriff’s Department on its dive team, as reserve deputy, and as sheriff’s deputy, and as a firefighter and EMT with the Big Prairie Fire Department . He also worked in construction.
He also had a “lifelong passion for metal fabrication and hunting,” his obituary stated.
“Above all, his life was driven by a profound belief in helping others and a strong faith that guided his spirit and was a proud and devoted grandfather.”
A visitation is scheduled for 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13 at Harvest Fremont church, 5479 West 72nd St.
A celebration of life will follow from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the church.
A private burial will take place with immediate family only, per Morsaw’s wishes.
In lieu of flowers, people may make a donation to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
Services are being taken care of by Crandell Funeral Home in White Cloud.
Members of the community who wish to share notes of support may send them to the Grant Police Department , located at 280 South Maple St.
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