Dear Friends of Knox:
Most of you have no doubt heard that Anne Morrison passed away peacefully on Sunday, June 21st with her sons Trevor from New York and Andy from Brisbane by her side.
It has been a shock to all of us who were blessed to know her saw how quickly she weakened after her unexpected cancer diagnosis in mid-April.
Anne was on a fast-track spiritual journey when she came to Knox and attended every book study and course she could and had hoped to facilitate a workshop she had created on forgiveness this May. In spite of her many other health challenges, she continued to serve and work as a healer and teacher for over 50 years. She was excited to be a member
of our Counselling and Healing Collective and even at 82 she continued to do online counselling on Mondays and Tuesdays in her private practice via zoom with clients from around the world.
Even though Anne had only connected to Knox through livestream and zoom because of her husband’s illness, she became a member of Knox in 2024. Once she was here in person, Anne quickly endeared herself to many at Knox through her warmth, compassion, wisdom and healing affirmations.
While we are sad for ourselves and pray for her family, we are pleased to know that she and Hugh have been reunited as they walk in the beautiful gardens of their new home in heaven which he was preparing for her.
Anne’s Celebration of Life will be held at Knox on Friday, August 14th at 1:00 pm and will be publicly livestreamed.
In deepest gratitude for her life
Jennifer Ferguson
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Published Obituary
Anne Katherine Morrison (nee Van Dine), a longtime resident of Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland, passed away peacefully in Parksville on June 21, 2026, with her sons at her side. A devoted wife, mother, and friend, Anne worked for over 50 years as a social worker and therapist in a variety of settings, implementing the belief that everyone yearns for connection, a sense of belonging, safety, and positive self-worth.
Anne was born in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The youngest child of three, she was raised principally by her mother Ruth in San Jose, California. She graduated from Willow Glen High School in San Jose and then studied at Pomona College, from which she received a BA in Sociology and Psychology in 1965. She then pursued graduate work in Social Work at the University of Washington in Seattle, from which she received an MSW in 1967.
It was in Seattle that Anne met the love of her life, Hugh. They married in 1968 and moved to Port Alberni in 1970. Anne worked as a family social worker there for several years before joining Port Alberni Parks and Recreation as Manager of Community Services for seniors and people with special needs. A theme running throughout this work was Anne’s devotion to building community and to supporting and lifting up marginalized populations, which she did exceptionally well.
Anne and Hugh raised their two sons, Trevor and Andrew, in Port Alberni, and were very active in the community during their time there. They both sang for many years in the adult choir Timbre!, and played numerous roles in local musical theatre productions.
Anne and Hugh moved to the Lower Mainland in the early 1990s, living in Langley and then Abbotsford. Anne worked as a Manager of Recreation Services for the Township of Langley, where she again excelled at serving and fostering community for a broad range of populations. From there, she spent many years as a consultant to communities across the province and country, and as a therapist, teacher, and trainer using the techniques and methods of the Satir Institute of the Pacific.
Anne and Hugh returned to the Island in 2009, settling in Chemainus where they made a beautiful home. Anne continued her work as a therapist for a great many individuals and groups, which she described as “helping people resolve and heal their inner pain so that it is transformed into renewed life energy that can fuel a more satisfying life.” Anne also wrote a mental health column for the Chemainus Courier from 2010 to 2018, and she and Hugh participated actively in their local and church communities.
Anne received many awards and accolades for her professional accomplishments, including the Canada 125 Commemorative Medal from the Governor General of Canada in 1993, and the YWCA Women of Distinction’s Woman of the Year Award in 2002. In bestowing the latter award, the YWCA said that Anne’s “compassion and sensitivity combined with her excellent professional skills and academic training make her not only an outstanding therapist and trainer, but also a terrific human being.”
Anne and Hugh were devoted to each other, and she missed him greatly after he passed in 2024. She moved to Parksville in early 2025. Her time there was a powerful testament to the wonderful circles of friends she made and maintained over so many years and in so many places, and to her ability to make dear new friends even late in life. The people at Knox United Church were especially important to her.
Anne was much loved and will be greatly missed by her sons Trevor and Andrew, daughters-in-law Beth and Cara, grandchildren Clio, Sophia, Connor, and Emmett, brother Lee, and countless other friends and relatives in Canada, the United States, New Zealand, Australia, and elsewhere. She was pre-deceased by her mother Ruth, father William, stepmother Kay, and brother Peter.