Obituary: Joseph Alan Morrison

Joseph Alan Morrison never forgot his Meeker roots.
A proud descendant of a Western Colorado pioneer family, Alan, who always preferred his middle name, was born on Aug. 4, 1941, to Louise and Joe Morrison. He died on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016, at the age of 74.

Alan spent much of his childhood in Meeker with his grandparents, Myrl and Ernest Oldland, and his body was laid to rest here alongside his family at Highland Cemetery last week, following services at St. James Episcopal Church.
For most of his life, Alan lived in California, going back and forth from Capitola to San Francisco, always near close friends David Dunham and James Lovelace.
He studied art history and advertising at Cabrillo College and San Jose State University, later working as a successful executive for prestigious advertising and media firms such as Dancer Fitzgerald and Sample as well as McCann Erickson.
A lover of the arts, Alan was a longtime supporter of the San Francisco Opera, and he was passionate about photography, often capturing images of city skylines and his worldly travels.
He will be remembered by his friends and family for his impeccable taste, giving heart, sharp wit and movie-star good looks from his younger years as an accomplished bodybuilder.
Alan is survived by: his aunt, Elizabeth “Betty” Oldland; and cousins Anne Fitzgerald, Alan, Janice and Robert Oldland, Jerry Oldland, Charlie Potter, Chris Uphoff, Sally Norell and Cheryl Whiteman.