Pacers Vice Chairman Jim Morris Dead at 81, Hoosiers Respond

Source: (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

INDIANAPOLIS — Following the death of Pacers Sports & Entertainment Vice Chairman and well-known community member Jim Morris, Hoosier leaders are celebrating his life and legacy.

The Pacers and owner Herbert Simon released a statement, saying, “No one loved Indiana and Indianapolis more than Jim… Jim will be sorely missed by all of us, and we will keep him and his family in our prayers.”

AES Indiana announced that it would be showing a “special window light display” downtown Saturday night, as Morris was a longtime member of the company’s Advisory Board.

During his decades-long career, Morris worked with former Indy Mayor Richard Lugar, the Lilly Endowment, the United Nations, the U.S. Olympic Committee, and many more influential businesses and organizations.

Mayor Joe Hogsett notes, “He raised funds for pivotal projects like the Indianapolis Zoo and the Hoosier Dome. His leadership at Pacers Sports & Entertainment only solidified his place as a pillar of our community.”

Morris was also the recipient of various awards and honors, including 17 honorary doctorates and the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award.

Governor Eric Holcomb argues, “We all have Jim Morris to thank for being such a relentless positive force and builder of our capital city into the international destination it is today.”

The man died Friday night at the age of 81.

Full Pacers Statement:

There are no words that would do justice to how consequential Jim’s life truly was. To his very last day, he was hard at work bringing people together to help those most in need and make our city and our state stronger, more civil, and more united. No one loved Indiana and Indianapolis more than Jim. To us, though, Jim was family, a lifelong friend, a mentor, and the ultimate fan. He was a constant presence in Gainbridge Fieldhouse and an endless source of optimism on the future of his beloved Pacers, Fever, and Indiana University. Jim will be sorely missed by all of us, and we will keep him and his family in our prayers now and always.

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