Murdoch Kenneth “Ken” Morrison

AUBURN – On Sunday, June 25, 2023, Murdoch Kenneth “Ken” Morrison passed away peacefully at the age of 87 years.

Ken was born on March 26, 1936, in Boston, Mass. to Murdoch Angus “Dick” and Mary (MacLeod) Morrison. Family ancestry was important to him, and he had strong family ties to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and Scotland.

He attended elementary school in Millis and graduated from Hamilton High School, while living and working at Blue Chip Farm. He first attended the University of New Hampshire where he met his wife in the dairy barn.

Leaving as soon as school was out, he drove the rough and challenging newly built ALCAN Highway to Alaska with friends, Dave Ingalls and Vaughn Cameron, and for a summer in Fairbanks, Alaska, worked on a potato farm as well as Creamer’s Dairy.

In November of 1959 he was drafted into the U.S. Army in Fairbanks, Alaska. Before he could be inducted, the office burned down allowing him to choose Millis, Mass. as his induction point so when he finished his service the Army would send him home. His basic training was performed in Fort Ord, Calif. and then stationed at Fort Eustis, Va. There he enjoyed being a helicopter mechanic instructor specialized in hydraulics with a ranking of SP5.

On June 29, 1963, he married Joan Wheeler from Canterbury, N.H. He graduated from Delaware Valley College in Doylestown, Pa. with a B.S. degree in Genetics in 1966. He received his M.S. degree in Immunology in 1968 from West Virginia University and finally his Ph.D. for Immunogenetics in 1974 from Kansas State University in Manhattan. Soon after he moved his family to a farm in Avoca, Mich. He loved farming and together with his wife bred and raised Milking Shorthorn cattle, Thoroughbreds, and Bassett Hounds. He worked on his research specializing in prostate cancer and taught microbiology and immunology to medical students at Wayne State University in Detroit. He also worked as a research scientist for the Michigan Cancer Foundation in conjunction with WSU.

In 1986 the family moved to Welcome Home Farm in Greene. He found local employment with Franklin Academy, a private school for troubled teenagers, teaching math, science and how to raise farm animals. He also worked on various neighboring dairy farms all while managing Welcome Home Farm with his wife. He was involved with the founding of the Androscoggin Land Trust in 1989 and Treasurer for the Town of Greene. He was never afraid of a little adventure with a hike 5,269 ft. up Mt. Katahdin, two weeks in Scotland to find relatives, and a wild ride on the fifth-tallest roller coaster in the world, the Fury 325, all while in his 70s. Ken was a strong man and loved to test people with the occasional tease or taunt to build a smile or laugh. No matter who approached him he would always lend an ear, provide fascinating discussions or stories, and give solid advice.

Ken is survived by his wife Joan “Sam” Morrison; son, Murdoch Keith Morrison (North Carolina), daughters Bess Ann Morrison (New Hampshire) and Dori Jean Moran (Oregon), foster son, Dave Lloyd Lohr (New Hampshire); grandchildren Jake and Mack Morrison, Devlin McPherson, Autumn Moran, Samantha and Barbara Lohr; sister-in-law, Carol Faye Morrison (California); niece and nephews Heather Edlund, Lloyd and Todd Morrison; and many other close extended family members.

A family gathering to be held at a later date. Neighbor and friends’ remembrance to be held at a later date locally. For further expression and as details develop, they can be found at: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/auburn-me/murdoch-kenneth-morrison-morrison-11346896.