Bruce G Morrison, Age 87, formerly of Greeneville, TN, retired former Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Greeneville-based Jones Media, Inc. newspaper group, passed away on 12 December 2025 at Life Care Center Nursing Home, Banner Elk, NC, where he'd been a resident since a stroke in 2018.

Bruce retired from Jones Media in 2012 after a distinguished and diverse professional career in print, broadcast, and digital community-level journalism, largely in senior leadership roles, with community newspapers and newspaper groups in East TN, the "High Country" of Western NC, and other areas of the Southeastern U.S. (Jones Media was sold to family-owned Adams Publishing group based in Minneapolis MN in 2016,)

Prior to his affiliation with Jones Media Inc., Bruce oversaw newspaper, magazine, digital, and radio operations with Boone Newspapers as a publisher in Selma, AL and Park Newspaper Group's newspapers as a publisher in Concord, N.C.

He served in the U.S. Army from 1958-1961 in what was then West Germany during the Cold War. As part of his military training, he learned journalism and the German language and served as a communications specialist, writing for The Army Times and broadcasting on Radio Free Europe. After leaving the Army, he earned a degree in Broadcasting and later a degree in the law (focused on libel and defamation).

Bruce started his journalism career by broadcasting "News and Sports" on small-town radio stations across Southern and Midwestern states, where he signed on and off as "B G. Morrison" and was nicknamed "BuG."  Later he began to work in print media and became accomplished as a reporter/investigative reporter.  As his skills grew, he moved into senior management roles, such as publisher and COO.

In the 1980s Bruce co-founded with Julie, his late wife, the monthly publication Running Journal, which developed a circulation of thousands of runners throughout the South and which he continued to publish for several years after he retired from Jones Media.

He and Julie developed and personally owned the Running Journal and were very proud of their accomplishment. Over the years the Journal had an impact on many lives through its stories and photos -a great many of which were the product of Bruce's own reporting and photography and his underlying passion for the sport of running.

In 1991 he wrote and published the book entitled "26.2: Trail of Truth," which focused on the sport of running and his own feelings and experiences as a marathon runner for most of his life.  Although his stroke placed significant limitations on his ability to talk and use his right side, he continued his love of "running" by propelling himself in his wheelchair up and down the halls of the nursing home where he lived and was a beloved and respected resident.

As to his love of the news, even after his stroke he continued to feed that interest by reading newspapers and magazines, as well as voraciously watching the news on TV.

After running, Bruce's second love in sports was baseball.  He mastered a wide range of statistics on it-- especially for his favorite team, the Detroit Tigers--which he'd willingly recite, if given half a chance.  He also loved to coach the Little League baseball teams his children played for, and he always had a glove and ball handy, "just in case'' he ran into someone who wanted to play catch.

Along his life's journey, he fell in love more than once — first with Allee, the mother of his two children, Anthony (Tony) and Cheryl (Cherrie). Then with Jeannie, who brought him two stepchildren, Josh and Joan.  Later, he met and married the love of his life, Julie, who gave him cats, dogs and a renewed love for life and books.

Sadly, Julie passed away in an auto accident after 25 years of marriage, and life was never the same for Bruce. He loved and missed her until the day he passed away.  Now, he's finally back in the arms of his beloved Julie!

Bruce will be fondly remembered by family, friends and coworkers not only for his extraordinary journalistic and newspaper skills and achievements but also for his out-going nature, enjoyment of a challenge, sense of humor, loving spirit and his kindness to everyone he met.

Survivors (and their spouses) include sisters: Ruth Morris, San Antonio Texas, Elizabeth Burke, Deborah (Frank) Koller, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; son: Tony Morrison Columbia, SC; nephew: Randy (Irma) Morrison; Nieces: Jeanette (Eric) Olander, Laura (Matthew) Herrmann, Milwaukee Wisconsin.

He was preceded in death by his mother: Martha Gilbertson; stepfather: Vern Gilbertson; father: Vincent Morrison; wife: Julie Morrison; daughter: Cheryl Morrison; and brother, Ray Morrison.

The body will lie in state at the chapel so friends and co-workers can come and pay the respects from 10 AM to Noon on Friday, December 19, 2025, at the Hampton Funeral Home, 683 Blowing Rock Road, Boone, NC 28607.

A graveside interment (no service) will be at GreeneLawn Memory Gardens in Greeneville, Tenn., at 3 PM on Friday, December 19, 2025, at the GreeneLawn Memory Gardens, 4159 Asheville Hwy, Greeneville, Tenn.

In lieu of sending flowers, the family requests that donations be sent to your local animal rescue facility as Bruce loved animals, especially dogs and cats of all shapes and sizes and would be very touched by the gesture.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.hamptonfuneralnc.com

Hampton Funeral and Cremation Service is in charge of the arrangements.