Kenric Morrison simply continued his law enforcement career when he moved to Atlanta from the Cayman Islands.
The Jamaican-born officer had been an investigator, a band member and a K-9 trainer for the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service. Here, he was hired to coordinate the Atlanta Police Department's Red Dog K-9 unit. He and Derrick Davis, a senior patrol officer, trained four canines together: the late K-9 Bandit, K-9 Rusty, K-9 Cody and K-9 Panzer.
"When we trained, it was four to five hours a day, in the trenches," Mr. Davis said. "He got the best out of you."
On April 13, Kenric Lyle Morrison died from complications of nonsmoker's lung disease at Hospice Atlanta. He was 59. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the APD mounted patrol office on Cherokee Avenue. Wages & Sons, Stone Mountain Chapel, is in charge of arrangements.
At 16, Mr. Morrison left his home in St. Mary, Jamaica, to join the Jamaica Police cadet corps program in Port Royal, Kingston. He played trumpet for the police band for several years and worked in the criminal investigation and narcotics divisions.
In 1983, he left Jamaica to join the Cayman Islands agency as a criminal investigator and band member. He became the department' s first K-9 dog handler after undergoing training in South Florida.
In the mid-1980s, Mr. Morrison played trumpet for two Cayman bands, the Settlers and K-Man Edition.
In an e-mail, former K-Man band mate Fred Sambula called Mr. Morrison a first-rate trumpeter and the "only bugler who could play the requisite solo pieces like ‘The Last Post' as required at special ceremonial and national events."
Rose Morrison, his wife of 38 years, said he inherited a musical ear.
"The music was in his soul," she said. "His father had a melodious voice who could sing and who taught music in school. Most of the siblings are musical."
"My father used to say that he ‘lost his lip,' " said a daughter, Kieva Morrison of Stone Mountain. "But he loved everything from classical to soca, country and R&B. Daddy was a quite a cook, too, and though he specialized in Caribbean dishes, he wouldn't mind doing traditional Irish corned beef and cabbage. That was one of the last dishes he had Mommy prepare for him."
Initially, Mr. Morrison worked as a civilian employee for Atlanta police. He earned the 1999 civilian employee of the year award, among other honors. He returned to dog training with the help of an agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration that he knew in Jamaica.
"We carried our K-9 program into the community and talked to people to let them know what the Red Dog canine unit was all about," said Mr. Davis, the police officer. "I was his first trainee; today there are at least seven handlers that are part of the K-9 unit."
Additional survivors include another daughter, Kemi Morrison of Stone Mountain; a son, Kenyo Morrison of the Cayman Islands; five sisters, Fay Morrison of Atlanta, Gem Morrison of New York, Bobbette Morrison of North Carolina, and Sheila Armstrong and Neslyn Thomas, both of Jamaica; nine brothers, Jack Montgomery, Emerie Montgomery, Arlington Morrison and Headley Montgomery, all of Jamaica; Sedley Huey and Wendell Morrison, both of Jacksonville; Roger Bond of New Jersey; Earl Morrison and Alwyn Morrison both of Atlanta; and three grandchildren.
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