It is with deep sorrow and great love that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend to many, Stephen William Morrison, at the age of 69, on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. He passed after a courageous 21 day battle with an acute case of Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Steve’s life touched the lives of many others within his family, amongst his many friends, and those he helped along the way with joy, service, and love.
Steve was as an only child born on September 15, 1954 to Ernest William Morrison and Gwendolyn Louise Littlefield at Queen of Angels Hospital in Los Angeles, California. His father owned a film production and editing company where his mother also assisted to answer fan mail and correspondence for various celebrities including Betty White. He grew up in the west Los Angeles area and attended Palm Middle School and later graduated from Culver City High School.
Steve was entrepreneurial by nature and in the 1980s, he was a co-owner of Coast Club Towing in Malibu, CA. Later in 1993, he and his partner and very close friend Bob Miles, formed a phone company called M&M Communications, also located in Malibu serving the likes of celebrities like Dick Clark, Barbara Streisand, and others.
Steve eventually moved to Arizona in 2004 and married his beautiful wife Jiexin, (Jessie) in Mesa, Az, in 2006. He also took a job with the Department of Public Safety as a 9-1-1 dispatcher and was later promoted to a managerial position. He retired from the DPS in 2020.
As was the case in California, Steve continued his active involvement in Arizona in a variety of community service efforts over the span of many years. Steve helped to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for children and the community with both the Kiwanis Clubs of Malibu, CA in the 1980s, and later the Kiwanis Club of Gilbert, AZ, supporting Gilbert Public Schools and other various fundraising activities even until recently. In Arizona, Steve was also a member of Foresters Financial and participated in activities at Sunshine Acres Children’s home in Mesa, AZ. In addition, Steve loved to cruise and see the world. Steve had recently completed his 50th cruise.
Steve is preceded in death by his two parents. He is survived by his beloved wife, Jiexin Zhang, his daughter Mary (Jason) Li, grandsons Jaxon and Maverick Li; his son Christopher (Brittany) Morrison, and granddaughters Emma and Ryder Morrison.
Visitation will be Thursday, June 6, 2024 from 9:00 to 10:00am at Mountain View Funeral Home & Cemetery at 7900 E. Main St., Mesa, Arizona, 85207 with services to follow at 10am. A brief graveside service will then follow at the same location at 11:00am. Flowers can be sent to the same address.