Kenneth Ian Morrison

1959- 2023

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Church of the Incarnation (3966 McKinney Ave, Dallas TX.) on July 17th at 1 p.m.

Kenneth Morrison, age 64, passed away on June 29, 2023 at home, in the company of family.

Ken was born in Calgary, Alberta in 1959 to his loving parents Pearl and Ian Morrison. Although Ken’s life and career eventually brought him to the U.S., Canada always remained “home.” Ken grew up in the University Heights neighborhood of Calgary and attended Queen Elizabeth High School, where he played football. After graduating from high school, he attended the University of Calgary where he obtained a degree in Commerce, although suspiciously few of his many stories from his time at U of C took place in the library. After graduation, Ken began his career at Canadian Superior, where he met his future wife and “one in a million,” Valerie. Val and Ken were married in May, 1989. In 1990, Ken’s career would take him from Calgary to Virginia, where their two children Zachary and Alyssa were born. In 1993, the family moved to Texas.

Over the course of his career at Canadian Superior, Mobil Oil and ExxonMobil, Ken held many varied positions, and he invested himself fully in every one of them, as a colleague, supervisor, mentor and friend. He had a gift for identifying and nurturing the talents in those around him and for making others feel truly seen and known. Ken often spoke of how uniquely privileged he was to have worked with so many amazing people throughout his career. Always quick to extend a helping hand or share a word of advice (or many words), in his final days and weeks, he received countless messages from former colleagues expressing the impact that he had on their lives and careers.

Although Ken excelled professionally, he was so much more than his career. Ken was a dedicated husband to his wife of 34 years, Valerie. Together, they raised their two children and countless dogs, traveled the world, and navigated many challenges and triumphs as a team. He was a devoted father, providing tirelessly for his family while always finding time to be there for all of the basketball games and piano recitals of childhood. Ken, alongside Val, ensured that their love and support was a solid foundation on which their children could build their lives.

Ken was a lifelong sports lover and steel trap for history and statistics--he connected with his son Zach through this passion, spending hours watching and commenting (and yelling) at the television and in person at sporting events. He loved music, amassing an impressive record collection and finding inspiration in everything from the lyrics of Meat Loaf and the Rolling Stones to the soundtrack of Mary Poppins. An enthusiast for learning, with a particular love of history, Ken considered the true human story to be the greatest story ever told, and his family reliably turned to him rather than google for answers. During his travels, he was able to visit some of the historical sites that held the most meaning and interest for him. Ken was a great lover of animals, and we are certain that he is happily reunited with many of the dogs that he loved along the way. Ken could never say no to helping a dog in need, and on more than one occasion, those dogs became permanent members of the family. In his retirement, Ken returned to his love of writing, dedicating himself to completing the long-held goal of writing a novel. By the time of his passing, he had completed two works of historical fiction, with plans for a third. If you have had the pleasure of reading his written words, you know how gifted he was, and if you have not yet, the family remains confident that you will find them on a shelf some day and open the pages of his work in fond remembrance.

If Ken had lived four lifetimes, it would not have been enough time to do all of the things that he was capable of. He could have been a sportscaster and brought such passion and precision to the job. He could have been an author from an early age, with many books on the shelves. He could have been an accountant, his mind worked in such detail and with such diligence. He could have been a history teacher and inspired his students with the enthusiasm and humanity that he brought to the subject.

Ken was a good friend with a generous heart. He was a dedicated husband, father, brother, son, and uncle, whose deep love of family was never in doubt. He was a man of faith, whose belief in a loving God, as well as the principles of love, tolerance and forgiveness carried him through to the very end. Although his physical form is gone, he lives on in his family and friends, and he will be remembered lovingly and missed every day.

Ken is survived by his wife, Valerie; son, Zachary (Alyssa), daughter Alyssa (Zak); sisters Phyllis (Don) and Joan (Geoff); nephew Shane (Lynne), niece Amanda (Bruce), nephew Ben, niece Nikki (Brett), and countless other family members and friends, as well as his four dogs, Trixie, Tandee (AKA Sandee Sue), Hope and Sunny.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Church of the Incarnation (3966 McKinney Ave, Dallas TX.) on July 17th at 1 p.m.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that you make a donation to the North Texas Food

Bank (https://ntfb.org/), or the Montgomery County Women’s Center

(https://mcwctx.org/), or adopt a dog in need in his honor.