Obituary of Norman Morrison

MORRISON, Norman (Bill)

December 1, 1941 – Calgary, Alberta

March 9, 2022 – Calgary, Alberta

On March 9, 2022, we said goodbye to Norman Morrison, our husband, father, grandfather, brother, friend, and superhero to many.

Norman was born in Calgary, AB on December 1, 1941, and passed away at the age of 80 years at the Southwood Hospice following a lengthy and difficult battle with several interrelated health conditions.

Norman is survived by his loving wife and partner of over 60 years, Carol Morrison, their three children, and five grandchildren: daughter Leanne Morrison (Tom Zarokostas) and son Matt Acorn; Tammy (Ed) Bartlett and their adult children Briana and Braeden; and Dean Morrison (Katrina Karkkainen) and their children A.J. and Hana. Norman is also survived by his oldest sister Edith Barkley.

He was predeceased by his parents, Bill and Gladys Morrison, and his sister, Dorothy Brown.

The youngest of three siblings, Norman grew up in the Midnapore and Crossfield areas of Alberta and loved spending time on the farm with his favourite dogs. As a teenager, he preferred to spend his time in the garage fixing cars or honing his skills at the local pool hall in Crossfield. Following a variety of jobs, Norman proudly began his 31-year career with the Calgary Fire Department (CFD) in 1964, retiring as Acting District Chief in 1995. He was an extremely hard worker and always balanced his career at the CFD with a second or third job ranging from exterior home finishing to interior home renovations.  He spent his post-CFD years working with Carol in their home renovation company with meticulous attention to detail to ensure things were done the “RightWay”.

Norman was a self-taught “Mr. Fix-it” to his friends and family and loved spending time repairing things, finding solutions to problems, or simply “MacGyvering” improvised solutions when the right materials were not available. He was always willing to help anyone out and share his knowledge with those willing to listen and learn.

As a father, Dad made sure that his family grew up with a parent at home, a welcoming home for friends and family and, of course, reliable transportation. He ensured that his kids grew up with the support, knowledge, and work ethic to be independent and successful in life. When it came to his grandchildren, they were his #1 priority, and he had a big soft spot for all of them. In retirement, he was able to spend more quality time with them playing games, camping, hiking, and working on projects. His favourite moments were when the family gathered for brunch, dinner, birthdays or whatever brought us together.

Norman had quite a sense of humour and loved to banter or tease with whoever would take it and often had his nurses and health care aides enthusiastically participating before you knew it. His children will remember him for persuading his grandchildren to take an active role in the banter, almost as soon as they could speak, and often to the chagrin of their parents. 

Norman also loved camping and travelling to see new places. He spent many of the early years with his young family camping in Alberta and British Columbia. One of the more memorable family camping vacations was a four-week road trip down the coast of California to Disneyland and beyond. He and Carol enjoyed taking their fifth wheel on a road trip across Canada to see the country coast to coast. Norman also appreciated several trips to warmer locales including Hawaii and Arizona. For their 50th anniversary, Norman and Carol were able to venture overseas with their daughter Leanne to visit London, Germany, South Africa, and Tanzania. He was especially taken with the safaris over the Serengeti culminating with a memorable hot air balloon ride to top it off.

Norman will be lovingly remembered as an exceptionally strong man, a caring and loving husband, dedicated father, and brother. He will be fondly remembered by his grandchildren as “Poppie” for whom they hold very special memories. Family and friends alike will remember Norman as their “superhero”, the one who would come to their rescue when they needed it most.

We will miss him dearly, but he has left a lasting legacy with those who love him, and we are better and stronger for having him in our lives.

The family would like to thank the staff and doctors at the Southwood Hospice and the senior and palliative home care teams for their support and assistance during the final months of his life. We would also like to thank our family and friends who sat by his side or assisted the family throughout our difficult journey.

A Celebration of Life will be held for Norman at the McInnis & Holloway (Fish Creek Hospitality Centre, 14441 Bannister Road SE, Calgary) on May 6, 2022 at 2:00 p.m.   Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared and viewed here.

In living memory of Norman Morrison, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Fish Creek, 1441 Bannister Road SE, Calgary, AB T2X 3J3, Telephone: 403-256-9575.

Click Here to View Norman Morrison's Memorial Card