Gary Lee Morrison, 73
Daily Inter-Lake | UPDATED 1 month, 1 week AGO
Gary was born Sept. 29, 1952, to Carol and Lamont Morrison in Austin, Minnesota, where he grew up on a farm outside of town. His family later moved to Red Wing, where Gary graduated from high school in 1970. He attended the University of Minnesota School of Pharmacy, graduating in 1975 with a degree in pharmacy.
Gary’s proudest moment was when his son Greg was born in 1978. While working as a pharmacist in St. Paul, Minnesota, he was watching the Rose Bowl and realized it was 100 degrees warmer in California than in Minnesota, so in 1981, he moved to Lake Arrowhead, California, where he started Gary’s Pharmacy. Gary and Greg enjoyed hunting, fishing and hiking, and had an amazing Zimbabwe safari in 1992.
Gary and Greg moved to Kalispell in 1994, and Gary started working at the Kalispell Regional Hospital in 1995 as a clinical pharmacist at the inpatient pharmacy. Gary’s parents, Carol and Lamont, moved to Kalispell in 1996 following the passing of his brother Robert. It was at the pharmacy that he met Laurie Tannehill and they were married in 1998 and his family expanded with two more sons, A.J. and Jon.
His love of pharmacy and teaching led him to develop the curriculum for a pharmacy technician program at Flathead Valley Community College in 2006. Gary also enjoyed his work as a consultant pharmacist at Immanuel Lutheran Communities, Brendan House and with Hospice. In 2008, he started The Clinical Pharmacy, where he remained as manager until his retirement in 2022. Gary mentored many young pharmacists and loved sharing pharmacy memes as part of his classes during his 47 years in healthcare.
A.J. passed in 2012 from a drug overdose. Greg joined the Navy and Gary and Laurie visited every duty station. Their best visit was to Italy in 2013, where they welcomed their first grandson, Charles, to the family. Jon remained close to home and brought more joy with his second grandson, Oliver, in 2019.
Gary enjoyed reading the printed version of the Daily Inter Lake cover-to-cover, riding his e-bike with and grilling on the bike trail with friends and the Wheatons Bike Club, and spending time playing with Charles and Oliver.
Gary died March 4, 2026.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Lamont (Carol) Morrison; his brother, Robert Morrison; his niece, Julia Morrison; his in-laws, Jim (Ruby) Tannehill and his son, A.J.
He is survived by his wife, Laurie; sons, Greg (Jenny) and Jon; grandsons, Charles and Oliver; niece, Jennifer; sister, Sylvia of Rochester, Minnesota; brother, Craig (Deb) of St. Paul, Minnesota; brothers-in-law, Tom (Lisa) Tannehill and Scott (Martha) Tannehill, all of Kalispell.
Memorial events will be held at Faith Covenant Church, 611 Third Ave. E., Kalispell, MT 59901 on Monday, March 9, with a viewing starting at 12:30 p.m. and a funeral service at 1 p.m. with a reception following. In lieu of flowers, the family recommends memorials to Flathead County Animal Shelter, Brendan House, Faith Covenant Church, or Faith Church. Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home is caring for the family.