A Celebration of the life of Gene W. Morrison will be held at 11:00 A.M. at the First Baptist Church, 1717 4th Avenue, in Canyon on Thursday, January 4, 2007 with Dr. David Lowrie, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Dreamland Cemetery. Long time Canyon resident and civic leader Gene W. Morrison died Tuesday, January 2, 2007. Morrison was born in Donley County, Texas in 1921 and worked as a cowboy across the Plains of Texas before settling in Canyon in 1940. He was a member, former Chaplain, 50 year pin holder and recipient of the Golden Trowel Service Award of the Canyon City Masonic Lodge Number 730. Active for years in numerous civic activities including the Canyon Little League, Canyon Boy Scouts, the Texas Panhandle Historical Society, the Texas Panhandle Heritage Foundation, the Canyon Concert Series and the West Texas Buffalo Club, Morrison was named Outstanding Kiwanian of the Year in Canyon in 1960. Morrison invested in service stations and real estate in Canyon and Hereford beginning in the 1950"s and was an early supporter of the effort to establish the Pioneer Amphitheater in Palo Duro Canyon State Park. He is best remembered by multiple generations of Canyon children for the years he portrayed Santa Claus at the Panhandle Plains Museum Christmas Open House. During World War II, Morrison served in the 670th Field Artillery in the 3rd Army under the command of General George Patton in the European theater of operation. Along with W.A. "Bill" Wilson, Morrison was one of the first two original Reserve Deputy Sheriffs of the Randall County Sheriff"s Office and was one of the first Canyon Volunteer Firemen to graduate from the Texas A&M fire fighting school. He was active as a member of the King"s Men Sunday School Class of the First Baptist Church of Canyon at the time of his death. Morrison is survived by his wife, Betty, his son, Gene Vaughn and wife Cheri and his grandson, John David, all of Canyon. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials should go to the West Texas A&M University Foundation, WTAMU PO Box 766, Canyon, Texas 79016 or the Building Fund of the First Baptist Church, 1717 4th Avenue, Canyon, Texas 79015.