Jack Malcolm Morrison

1930 - 2020

Jack Malcolm Morrison, born on April 14, 1930 to Mary Catherine Chandler Morrison and Artist Clifford Morrison, passed from this life peacefully on May 28, 2020 at the age of 90. Jack was born in Amarillo, Texas where he attended Amarillo High School, the only high school in Amarillo at the time. While in high school, he sang in the Julia Dean Evans Acapella choir and went to New York City and sang a solo of "Old Man River" at Madison Square Garden and while there, he also sang on the Fred Waring national radio show. He went on to graduate from Amarillo High School in 1948. After that, he attended Amarillo College for 2 years and then transferred to Texas Tech. After one semester at TT, he received his draft notice and in 1950 he joined the Navy. He served in the Navy for 4 years. While in the navy, he went to the Florida and Tennessee Aviation Schools and was an Aviation Machinist Mate stationed in North Island, San Diego. He serviced seaplanes, FASRON 110 Fleet Air Service Squadron and AD Skyraiders carrier planes. He was assigned duty on the Boxer aircraft carrier CVE21 for 1 year during the Korean War. They had short stopovers in the Philippines, Japan, and Guam. His enlistment time was up while he was in Guam, so they flew him back to the US. After leaving the navy, he went back to school and received his Bachelors and Masters degrees at West Texas State University in Canyon. And during that time, he met the love of his life Patricia Irene Brown at the First Baptist church in Amarillo. They were married in April of 1955.

Jack started his teaching career at James Bowie Jr High in 1955. He taught Art until funding stopped and they had no art supplies. He then changed to teaching Health for a year and then taught Physical Science. When Caprock high school in Amarillo was built in 1964, he began teaching biology there and retired from there in 1987 after 32 years of teaching. During his years at Caprock, he held down the role of head of the science department, coached boy's golf and worked the ticket counter at all of the sporting events.

Jack and Pat loved traveling in their motor home and their 5th wheel trailers and vacationed to numerous destinations, but always ended back up at their favorite spot in Lake City, Colorado. In 1996, they sold their house in Amarillo and moved to Valle Del Oro Resort in Mesa Arizona. While there, they were very active in all of the social and crafting activities. Jack enjoyed woodworking, lapidary, silversmithing and even began and taught classes in leather crafting, MAC computer and Photoshop. He also sang in the choir and was instrumental in getting the putting green installed at the resort and began putting tournaments.

In 2018, Jack sold the house in Arizona and moved in with his daughter in Colfax, CA.

Jack was the ultimate perfectionist and excelled at everything he did including hunting, fishing (known as Grandpa fishing), golf, tennis, leather crafting, model building, as well as playing, coaching and refereeing volleyball, etc. He was a life-long teacher and never passed up an opportunity to teach and share his vast amount of knowledge. During his last years, he still enjoyed learning and watching historical and scientific documentaries and loved sharing his knowledge with family and friends.

Jack was proceeded in death by his wife Patricia in 2008. Survivors include a daughter Beverly Zorichak and a son Brad Morrison and his wife Tina. Six grandchildren Stacie Zorichak , Krista Zorichak Lopez and her husband Steve, Heather Zorichak Michaud and her husband Lyle, Ryan Zorichak and his wife Tanya, Cory Morrison and his wife Angie and Christopher Morrison. 5 great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Jack was dearly loved and will be truly missed by those who knew him.