John R Morrison

John Richard Morrison, 79, of Surf City, New Jersey, passed away on February 15th. He died peacefully of natural causes, at home in the company of Thelma Louise Miller Morrison, his wife of 57 years, and their children.

John was born on September 26, 1931, in Oak Park, Illinois, and lived most of his youth in Minneapolis, Minnesota, graduating in 1949 from St. Thomas Military Academy in St. Paul, Minnesota. In 1953 he graduated from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee with a B.A. in English. He and Thelma married on June 9 1953 in Nashville.

In the years 1954-56, he was in active service in the U.S. Air Force. Thereafter, he and his family resided in Nashville 1956-1965, Lisle, Illinois 1965-1968, and Florham Park, New Jersey 1968-1996. Upon retiring in 1996, he and Thelma settled in Surf City on Long Beach Island, New Jersey.

John was a man of deep religious faith, for whom the Roman Catholic Church was foundational across the entire span of his life. In every parish where he was a member he made special contributions, through teaching CCD for grammar school children, membership in the Fourth Degree of the Knights of Columbus, and participation as an usher and Eucharistic minister.

John Morrison pursued a successful forty-year career in business, centered in medical products and services. He worked for Cutter Laboratories in sales from 1956-1961, based in Nashville. Over the subsequent decade stretching to 1972, he worked for the medical products firm C.R. Bard, Inc., progressing from a salesman to a district manager to a senior regional officer to a national sales manager. For 13 years up to 1987, he was Vice President of Beekley Hospital Systems, based in West Hartford Connecticut, which specialized in hospital laboratory information systems. Under John’s leadership, the Beekley system became the standard for the U.S. Veteran’s Administration. The capstone of his career (1991—1996) was in investments with Charter Financial, New York, New York, focused on hospitals and short railroad companies.

Upon retirement to Long Beach Island, New Jersey in 1996, John intensified his community service. He provided communion and companionship to the elderly in nursing homes and a hospital. Through Interfaith Health and Support Services, he assisted those in need through transport to medical appointments. He became active in the AARP local chapter and later in the LBI Men’s Forum, enlisting many outside experts for discussion of timely topics at monthly gatherings.

A memorial mass to honor John’s life will be held on Friday February 18, 2011 at 11AM at St. Francis of Assisi, 4700 Long Beach Blvd, Long Beach Township, New Jersey. Family and friends are welcomed at 10AM. John will be interred in the Morrison family plot in the cemetery at St. Isidore’s Church, in Bethany Illinois. Local funeral arrangements are being handled by Thos. L. Shinn Funeral Home, Manahawkin, New Jersey.

John is survived by his wife Thelma; his brother Dr. Kent Morrison of Langley WA (Karen Chapman); his six children Dr. Dorothy Linn of Landenberg, PA (Gary); Dr. Stephen Morrison, of Washington DC, (Marsha Lea); Julie Morrison, of Palo Alto, (Byron Jones); James Morrison of Belmont, NC, (Susan); Dr. Bart Morrison of Charleston, WV, (Chris); and Katherine Van Meter, of Berwyn, PA, (Jon); and his thirteen grandchildren Jessica and Sarah Linn, Megan Nowell (Randy), Meheret Morrison, Galen Jones, Hank, Sam, Tess and Thomas Morrison, Fiona and Liam Morrison, and Michael and Matthew Van Meter.

The family requests that any donations in John Morrison’s honor be made to either Resurrection Catholic Missions (P.O. Box 8800, Montgomery AL 36177-9351) or the food pantry at the St. Francis Community Center (4700 Long Beach Boulevard, Long Beach Township, New Jersey, 08008-3926.) Condolences may be sent to www.shinnfuneralhome.com