For most of his life, Bruce Morrow was hardly ever sick. An avid boater, car enthusiast,
and self-made handyman, the retired Volusia County Sheriff’s Deputy had never even
had a hospital stay for seven decades. Then, at 71, he received a life-shattering
diagnosis: Gliosarcoma, a rare and aggressive brain cancer.
For two years, Bruce fought. He underwent multiple surgeries at Mayo Clinic, including
two to remove tumors from his brain, followed by two more for a pacemaker. Spending
so much time at the hospital, he developed a rapport with Mayo staff and developed
a deep fondness for the aids and nurses who cared for him. Several of his nurses were
alumni of Jacksonville University’s Keigwin School of Nursing. Their exemplary care
left a profound impression on his family.
“During his two-year battle with cancer, we were taken care of by several amazing
nurses from JU,” said Bruce’s daughter Brekke Johnson. “Some that I remember are Ken
McElwee and Jamie Jurado, both of whom were fabulous ICU nurses—and fairly new.”
When Bruce entered hospice care in 2023, Brekke and her mother came up with an idea
that would honor both their father’s life and the JU nurses who looked after him.
“On the drive home from the hospital,” explained Brekke, “our family thought of a
nursing scholarship in his name, in which donations could go to a recipient who wanted
to become a nurse so that his name could live on and he could help others down the
road. When we shared the idea with him, tears rolled down his face and he said, ‘I’d
like that.’”
Bruce passed away on July 23, 2023. Today, Jacksonville University is proud to honor
the life and legacy of Bruce Morrow with the Bruce Morrow Memorial Nursing Scholarship.
The scholarship supports one annual scholarship for a nursing student enrolled at
JU.
Brekke said the scholarship will continue her father’s legacy of always looking for
ways to help others.
“The Bruce Morrow Memorial Nursing Scholarship serves to honor the life of our hero,
someone who always cared about others and their needs before his own.”
