06/01/2026
This Sunday afternoon, Tampa Bay Screams payed respects and bade farewell to the family and memory of our dear friend Jeff Morris, of Wilson's Book World, one of the great book stores. Jeff was my karate instructor in the late 1970's/early 1980's at the Fossil Park Recreation Center in St. Petersburg, FL. Jeff was a black belt and taught me much about the martial arts. I soon discovered that he was the proprietor of Wilson's Book World, a destination for book and comic book fans. I can't tell you how many monster magazines, comics, sci-fi/sword & sorcery/horror novels, and RPG books I purchased over the many years at Wilson's Book World, even now as Jeff's daughter operates the store. Eagerly looked forward to riding my bike and eventually driving to Wilson's to check out new RPG modules, monster mags, and comics from the 1970's to the 1990's and beyond.
I mainly visited Wilson's Book World to talk to Jeff. He was a mentor/teacher to us 1970's/1980's kids. Always well-dressed, well-spoken, charismatic, and supra-intelligent. I knew him as the owner of Wilson's and my karate instructor, and learned today he was a fantasy author, RPG player, photographer, chef, and expert on pre-Medieval era religions and could translate Medieval-era documents. A true Renaissance man.
In karate class, I remember how anxious I was to throw Chinese stars, wield nunchucks, and fight with a staff, but Jeff always stressed learning the basics first (27 movements) and using karate chiefly for defense. Also expressing condolences on behalf of the Ivory family.
The stories were amazing at Jeff Morris's Memorial today. I had no idea so many luminaries knew Jeff, and were role-playing gamers. Jeff invented/designed his own RPG that led to his book series.
Jeff, we will miss you and you were always an inspiration to us 1970's era kids and beyond. The perfect role model. God Bless Jeff Morris, the Morris family, his belove Sheryl, and daughter Michelle, and all the Freemasons and friends who called Jeff a friend and brother. - AndyL. with MarkZ.
