Obituary of Jim Morrison

James (Jim) Morrison, age 94, of London, ON, passed away peacefully on February 3, 2026.

He was born on October 11, 1931, in Montreal to his late parents George and Elizabeth Morrison. He grew up alongside his siblings Walter (Joyce), George (Stella), Alec (Diana), Margaret (Don) and Jesse (Al).

Jim will be remembered for his kindness, sense of humour and his natural athletic ability. He worked as an assistant golf pro at The Weston Golf and Country Club, was a two-time national canoeing champion in the early 1950s and had an in-depth career as a professional hockey defenceman, coach and scout. He played close to seven years with the Toronto Maple Leafs and was a three time all-star. He also played for the Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins. In addition, Jim played eight seasons with the Quebec Aces and three seasons with the Baltimore Clippers in the American Hockey League. He won the Eddie Shore Award in 1965-66 as the league's outstanding defenceman, and in 2013 he was elected to the AHL Hall of Fame. After his playing career, he briefly coached the Kitchener Rangers (OHL) before moving behind the bench of the Kingston Canadians (OHL) for seven seasons. He later served 18 years as a scout in the Boston Bruins organization before retiring.

Jim is survived by his loving wife, Wanda Morrison (O’Halloran) of 68 years and his sons Jim (Cindi) , John (Jackie), Dave (Loretta) and Craig (Jeanette); and grandchildren Kristin (Sean), Drew, Ben, Jack, Jesslyn (Kory), Kate (Justin) , Tim (Jessie), Conor (Jill), Jayden and Emmett; and his great grandchildren Ava, Hannah, Hunter, Hallie, Peter, and James.

The family wishes to extend their deepest gratitude to the staff at Oak Crossing long term care for their exceptional attention and kindness shown to Jim over the last two years. We also want to share a special thank you to the NHL Alumni for their unwavering support and friendship.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Details will be shared once they are finalized. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to People Care Oak Crossing – Patient Consult.