Mr. James Everette Morrison Jr., of 192 Airport Road, Statesville, N.C., was born in Iredell County on April 21, 1960. He was the son of the late James Everette Morrison Sr. and Estherlene Mayes Morrison. He departed this life on Friday, May 7, 2021, at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a sister, Mrs. Marilyn Annette Morrison Staley; two aunts, Frances Mayfield and Mildred Sloan; and an uncle, Max Morrison.
“Boogie,” as he was affectionately called, was a graduate of West Iredell High School in Statesville and Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C. He was a member of the illustrious Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity.
At an early age, he joined Clark’s Chapel Baptist Church in Statesville, where he served as a choir member and later the Director of Music. He later moved his membership to New Life Missionary Baptist Church in Troutman, N.C. He was a gifted musician and had a love for music, serving as the Director of Music for Cameron Presbyterian Church in Elmwood, N.C., and New Life Missionary Baptist Church in Troutman. At the time of his death, he was employed by Pepsi-Cola Corporation as a Telephone Sales Operator and Route Relief Specialist. A loving brother, uncle, cousin and friend, he will truly be missed.
He leaves to cherish the memory of his life two sisters, Gloria M. Long of Statesville and Gladys M. Turner of Winston-Salem; a god-daughter, Marilyn Claire Ashe; nieces and nephews, Dana L. (Dwayne) Brown; Pamela M. (John) Ashe, Robert Lee (Angela) Long Jr., Kenya E. Turner, Candace L. Morrison, Derek L. (Erin) Morrison and James Michael Turner; two aunts, Eddie Bell Grant and Joann (James) Ramsey; first cousins and best friends, Homer Grant Jr. and Jeannie M. Watts; a host of great nieces, great nephews, cousins, other relatives, the New Life Missionary Baptist Church Family, neighbors and friends.
Celebration of Life Services will be conducted Friday, May 14, 2021, at 11:30 a.m. at New Life Missionary Baptist Church in Troutman, N.C. Reverend Timothy Bates, Pastor of Calvary Presbyterian and Cameron Presbyterian Church, will officiate and Reverend Ivan Cowan, Pastor of New Life Missionary Baptist Church, will eulogize. Burial will follow in the Clark’s Chapel Baptist Church Cemetery.
Mr. Morrison will remain at Rutledge and Bigham Funeral Home until taken to the church to lie in state at 10:30 a.m. Members of the family will receive friends at the church from 11 until 11:30 a.m., but will assemble at the residence of his sister, Gloria M. Long, 628 North Race Street, Statesville, N.C., at other times.
Visit the Book of Memories for Mr. Morrison at www.rutledgeandbigham.com.
Rutledge and Bigham Funeral Home is serving the family of Mr. James “Boogie” Morrison.