John Grant Morrison, Jr.
John Grant Morrison Jr. was born in Spokane, Wash., on Jan. 13, 1973, to John Grant and Rita Kay (Hulse) Morrison. He was the middle child and only son, with two sisters, Tina and Sarah, whom he both enjoyed tormenting and protecting throughout childhood. He took his role as brother seriously.
John grew up in North Spokane, graduated from Mead High School, and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Gonzaga University.
He began volunteering with Spokane County Fire District 4 in Colbert while still in college and, in 1996, joined the Coeur d’Alene Fire, where he spent his entire career.
He met the love of his life, Jill Ermi, when they were in their early 20s, and they were married Sept. 27, 1997, in Coeur d’Alene. In 2003, their family was completed with the arrival of Joseph Grant. Family was incredibly important to John.
Many days were spent road-tripping, exploring the PNW, British Columbia, Cannon Beach and regularly traveling through the Palouse to northeastern Oregon, visiting local museums and John’s maternal grandparents’ farm.
John enjoyed all sorts of sports, including playing softball, tennis and golf. He loved fly fishing (so much so that he got Jill a rod for her birthday) and enjoyed playing MLB video games with Joe, while having their hopes squashed every year, rooting on the Seattle Mariners.
He enjoyed adventure biking and encouraging everyone around to get their own bike — “If he didn’t ask you, did you even know him?” A few years ago, he completed a multi-day ride and was planning another with friends for this fall, watching route videos and researching for the trip.
John loved gambling — especially craps — and he wouldn’t hesitate to turn even the most mundane thing into a wager, always upping the ante — and the fun.
He was full of ideas and helped inspire several entrepreneurial ventures, including Battalion 3 Technologies, which sought to improve the industry standard for fire safety and on-scene accountability.
He and Joe shared a love of music, regularly recommending songs to one another and enjoying a wide range of artists — from George Strait to Social Distortion — and attending several Deer Tick shows across the PNW in recent years.
Long hours at the firehouse helped John hone his cooking and grilling skills, which we all benefited from. He also enjoyed baking and especially loved creating an annual birthday cake for Joe.
John had a big personality, owning the room with his sense of humor and caring nature. If he noticed you were having a bad day, he would have you laughing within minutes. Beneath the joking, leg-pulling, and storytelling was a true caretaker. He adored Jill and Joe above all. He stepped in with his aging parents, provided exceptional care for Joe throughout his life and demonstrated his commitment to his community.
John is survived by his wife, Jill; son Joe; sisters Tina and Sarah; nieces Megan and Madeline; in-laws Keith and Gail Ermi; brother-in-law Mark (Diana); nephews Henry and Dominic; nieces Hannah and Grace; sister-in-law Karen (Todd) Bella and Ben; and a large extended family. John was preceded in death by his parents.
John’s legacy is one of laughter, love, loyalty and a deep commitment to service. He touched the lives of everyone who knew him, and he will be deeply missed.
John’s celebration of life will take place at 11 a.m. Thursday, July 10, 2025, at the Hagadone Event Center, 984 S. Floating Green Drive, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The family requests the celebration of life be for close family, friends and uniformed personnel only.
Visit John’s memorial and sign his online guestbook at www.englishfuneralchapel.com.
Morrison