On 12 November 2025, we lost a much-loved member of Oxford Cycling Club, Johnny Morrison. Johnny’s funeral was held this week, followed two days later by a memorial attended by over 300 of his family, friends and work colleagues from his hometown of Wollongong and beyond.
Members of New South Wales Fire and Rescue, where Johnny served as Captain of Coledale Station, provided a Guard of Honour. And in a gesture that would have brought an enormous grin of delight to his handsome face, a large group from Johnny’s local cycling club, The Garrulous Grimpeurs, rolled up on their bikes, resplendent in club colours, to salute their cycling friend and brother. Chapeau, fellas!
OCC was also represented at the memorial. Paul Honeybone, a close friend of Johnny and a co-founder of our club, travelled down the coast from his home in Sydney, to deliver a eulogy that focused on Johnny’s cycling life in Oxford and providing a window into his domestic life, juggling his ride time with running a successful catering business with Sarah and caring for daughter, Izzie.
From the genesis of our club in 2016 up until his return to his beloved ‘Gong’ in 2022, Johnny was a constant fixture on our club rides and social events. The video montage below is our tribute to Johnny – a celebration of his cycling life and the many happy and memorable days he spent riding with us in Oxfordshire. He will be deeply missed, yet we all feel privileged to have known him as a wonderful clubmate and friend.
Will Davies
I woke this morning as if from a bad dream, and then realised: he’s really gone.
Johnny was one of the kindest, funniest, most thoughtful people I’ve had the good fortune to meet. He helped me find my feet in the club back in 2018, and was one of the reasons I came to love OCC. Both as a rider and a man, he was someone I immediately admired: he just had it all together! So strong, but made it look effortless; a wheel in the bunch you could always trust, who could pivot perfectly from jovial to serious if the bunch needed to tighten up; and a character so full of stories and genuine warmth and interest, that you’d always look forward to rotating through and riding alongside him. I’m grateful for the time we all had with him, and devastated none of us will have that pleasure again.
Last time I was in touch with Johnny, he was asking after the kids and Gabriel’s work in the US, and trying to persuade me that we should move to Wollongong to build the new windfarm there, rather than stay in Boston! That said everything about the guy: always thinking about others, always looking to build community, always full of banter. He was a good mate. He was an even better husband and father: so dedicated to his family, and so full of love. Sarah and Izzie have been dealt the cruellest blow, and their lives obviously have been changed forever. It’s impossible to process right now. Saturday will be a time for everyone to come together and support each other, and to celebrate one of our own. Sending my love in absence.
Danny & Claire
Claire and I are cycling in Loas….but right now it feels as if we are on Mars, missing our friends and cycling family. The sun is shining here, but a dark cloud follows us…both night and day.
But as Dave has correctly stated, our loss is nothing compared to that of Sarah and Izzie. We cannot comprehend their feelings of loss and despair at losing the kindest, the most gentle, the most unbearably good looking man one could ever wish to meet.
But….But through all the anguish and pain, we must also celebrate this most beautiful example of a man. If you knew Johnny for 20 years or 20 minutes, you were a truly truly lucky person.
In our absence you have a lot to commiserate about, but so so much more to celebrate.
With our love…
Connor Penfold
A handsome man, indeed. I absolutely loved taking pictures of him working on my bike back in 2022 when he was promoting his mechanic business. His friendship over the course of my time with OCC has never been forgotten, as he was one of the original riders who introduced me to the club and put their arm around me as a young rider. I will always remember his obsession with his red Giant TCR and the obscene amount of time he spent tinkering with the position of that bike to allow him to ride as aggressively as possible. I have no doubts that he was riding with that same spirit, tenacity and passion on Saturday. Rest easy, mate.
Paul Honeybone
Cycling friends, so much said so well as we come to terms with the loss of a great man too soon. It’s with the same waves of grief and moments of joy that I write from Australia. Based in Sydney for the last year, Penny, I and Hugo have the good fortune to have Johnny, Sarah and Izzy an hour’s drive south. We had some great moments and had many more planned. While equally at home in Oxfordshire, know that Johnny was loving being home and the family has great community support. A proud Illawarra man by birth, his last ride ended in the Southern Highlands, featuring the hallmark purpose, vigour and enthusiasm you will understand. I would say he was in his hometown Cotswolds. I’m so pleased so many of you got to see him recently. He was relishing the trip and totally enjoyed it (although did concede to possibly drinking way too much!). When riding with him here he was always planning routes and looking forward to hosting friends. Please know that I will be doing what I can in the coming phase to help Sarah, as I know Johnny would for so many of us.
Hi all, just to let you know that the service in Australia for Johnny was earlier this week. I was able to attend and represent OCC and good friends. It was a moving tribute and celebration of his life. Over 40 of his local cycling mates turned up by bike in kit and the Fire Service turned out in big numbers for a full guard of honour. I gave a eulogy (just message me or Dave if you’d like a copy). Some pictures I got before hand attached. It was a sunny and warm afternoon at the Coledale RSL with well over 300 people in attendance.
Wednesday 3 December 2025
2pm at the Coledale RSL
“Sarah, Izzie; family and friends:
Like so many of us, I’m immensely proud to have known Johnny and come to call him a friend. So many people appreciate we’ve lost a fine man – and what a great loss he is.
If it were possible to feel the waves of grief and love from the other side of the world, let me tell you, that without question, you would be feeling so many emanating from Oxford in the UK over the past weeks. Johnny’s departure has affected many good people, united in the shock of sudden loss, the disbelief, and the grief.
And as the days have gone by – as we try to make sense of what we can’t make sense of – the many memories surface, and as the reflections and the stories slowly begin to be told anew, gradually smiles and laughter start to provide some relief to the heavy hearts and offer moments to uplift the weight of such impactful loss. The magnitude of Johnny’s loss is coming into focus as both immense and widespread.
I met Johnny over a decade ago cycling in Oxford. We biked together with a strong group of good friends that coalesced into the Oxford Cycling Club, or the OCC as we were known. Close mates with a high degree of trust forged through our mutual interdependence as a group on the road, we lived the seasons from the grey depths of glove and hat-wearing cold and wet winters, through the return of shorts on magically green spring days, and conversely colourful autumn rides; to scorchingly hot thirst-quenching days passing through fields of haymaking in the height of summer. Pursing fitness, but also importantly deepening personal connections, sharing in a synchronized experience on a journey – much like musicians in a band. And Johnny was a star in the band.
And afterwards coffees and beers, comradery and banter all served in generous measure. Legendary trips to Mallorca and France. Johnny so often appeared to sail along effortlessly on good days – always focused, skilful, strong and safety conscious. But this side of Johnny was only ever a part of his dance card.
I remember early on having a conversation with Johnny at a Sunday market where he was fronting a stall he and Sarah operated, featuring scotch eggs and arancini balls as their trademark offerings. This supplemented their local catering business and Johnny went on to manage a number of large and active markets in the city and surrounds – a testament to his ability to manage and coordinate activities.
A good friend Dave recounts seeing Johnny at the various market locations he frequented around the city with a queue of customers – and Johnny taking time and attentively talking to everyone. He mused how he may have made more money if he talked less, but that was the measure of man. Good natured, genuine, accessible and equally ready for a laugh or a kind word. And it has been suggested the outcome of his communication skills included a notable bias towards women as return customers, but I cannot confirm the veracity of such claims.
And Dave could never get anything out of him about how he kept the yokes soft and the outsides perfectly cooked and crispy – he’s still none the wiser about the art of a quality scotch egg. I guess the secrets stay with you Sarah!
Johnny, Sarah and Izzie’s place in Oxford was more often than not a hive of activity. I remember being in the kitchen, Johnny with various things on the go (probably the coffee-making he started when I arrived, something on the chopping board and simmering on a back-burner, half an ear listening to cycling on TV), then more action in the back shed with pots and pans and bikes and tools, Izzie yelling out for something… Sarah heading out the door with platters of food, someone else turning up for a set of wheels – Johnny going left and right – alive to spinning the plates with peripheral awareness and good humour. Life being lived in full colour.
Staying with this dynamic Morrison household, as Penny and I did for a week a few years ago here in Austinmer, was equally fun, busy and joyful. Such great memories – and we assumed there would be many more. We shared a sense of time, of needing to attend to the work to hand, but with plans for more adventures in the future.
Johnny was thoughtfully and intentionally investing in building a new future here, prepared to do the graft to sink in new foundations, all while appreciating and enjoying what being home offered. He truly relished the accessibility of connection with family and what that meant for him, Sarah, and of course especially, Izzie.
He was loving being in the water in the mornings, and on the local roads, having new conversations and unfolding a fresh experience of home. He’d done the yards studying for his degree and graduated. Johnny to me has arrived, and was standing-by and ready for more. He really lived, loved and lead in his own very grounded and highly engaged way. His life was so full, he was so experienced, and he’d lived richly trusting his heart and his acumen. A life very well lived.
To return to cycling, as Dave reflected recently after a strongly attended ride and after-drink to mark Johnny’s passing in Oxford, Johnny was quintessentially a great mate, someone who stepped-up during Covid to support others, and someone who personified the heart and soul of a positive culture. Ready to earnestly listen and to help. And equally ready to not take things too seriously as well – with himself placed at the top of that list!
The thing about Johnny as a cyclist was that he had a good set of legs and lungs, and when on form, was a very strong rider. When there was work to be done on the front, Johnny was always up for it. When there was someone off the back, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Johnny dropping back and pacing someone back to the group with words of encouragement.
He was never far from the center of good natured banter, firing off quick and witty commentary. Typically self-depreciating and constantly looking out for his mates, Johnny presence always enhanced a ride. And that’s not to mention his mechanical bent, his encyclopedic knowledge of bikes, and uncanny detailed memory of the road network. Plus he’d often take a bit of stick for being classically handsome.
These attributes, they personified Johnny, whether on or off the bike. Doing the work, looking after others, enjoying being in a cohesive unit and valuing connection. So whether in the Costwolds or Chilterns in the hinterlands of Oxford; or here tracking back from Bald Hill or heading into Kangaroo Valley, Johnny’s focus, enthusiasm and enjoyment were palpable when he got out to ride and absorb the beauty of the world.
I think of Johnny as a dual citizen of Oxfordshire county and the Illawara region. Equally comfortable and at home with the people and the places in the UK and Australia. Someone able to have a conversation with a coffee, beer or wine in hand, with people from a wide range of backgrounds. Someone who appreciated what each place has to offer, recognized his good luck to be experiencing a great quality of life, and someone who from his heart understood the value of family and friends.
Either enjoying the narrow cobbled streets, the history and the spires of Oxford; or understandably proud overlooking Kangaroo Valley from Carrington Falls, or watching the sun rise in Austi over the ocean, Johnny found and lived his happiness.
Someone in his environment here at the Coledale RSL or at community pub equivalent called The Up in Arms on Marston Road, Oxford. Someone with his eyes on the horizon, but really living in the present. Someone absolutely in love and committed to his wife and fully engaged and proudly committed to achieving the best for his fantastic daughter. A life lived in love.
Sarah and Izzie, I know Johnny was so happy that you both made the brave move with him and have experienced living here, finding an expanded sense of home, community and family. Whatever the future holds in the journey of your lives, know that Johnny’s going to be with you and his home is always going to be your home forever too.
While Johnny’s had the benefit of sisters in his family, he built a great network of brothers and friendships while offshore. And the breadth and depth of those connections have been visible – like in the recent visit he thankfully got to have back to Oxford – and have been shown to be so consequential for so many in his passing.
So today we remember and celebrate the life of a man who we can remember as being in his own unique way:
• Generous and loving
• Curious and attentive
• Observant and reflective
• Enthusiastic and inquisitive
• Articulate and quick witted
• Self-depreciating and funny.
Someone who inspired others to give, to learn, to volunteer, to teach, to be present, and to love. Someone who leaves a far bigger hole than he probably realized, for many more people than he probably realized. Someone who’s life was so fully lived, leaving lessons for so many of us.
Someone being mourned and acutely missed by friends from his Oxfordshire life. A loss that’s being deeply lamented, increasingly countered by the fond memories and laughter surfacing that’s going to grow in time.
Farewell from us all Johnny – a friend, a brother, a mate – you connected at real level with so many people, you shall always be remembered far and wide as one of the best.”