Artist, cat-lover, beloved fiancée, daughter and sister

Brooke Nicole Morrison (Pfahler) died on November 20, 2013. She was 34.

Ms. Morrison was born on July 10, 1979 in Columbus, Ohio to Brian and Terri Pfahler. She was the oldest of four children.

Growing up, she was a gymnast and a commercial actress who appeared in TV advertisements for Long John Silver’s, Kool-Aid and Chevy as well as unaired commercials for Cabbage Patch Kids and Old El Paso. She was also a soccer player and an avid amateur filmmaker.

After graduating from Upland High School, she attended Cal State, Fullerton where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Ms. Morrison, who was employed as a retail manager for several boutique stores, was an aficionado of the art nouveau style and other early modern art movements.

She was an accomplished sculptor and painter herself, gravitating toward portraiture and self-portraiture. She had the rare gift of being able to capture people, especially herself, at their most vulnerable, with considerable verisimilitude. She also had a special gift for interior decorating, with her style inspiring admiration and a touch of envy.

Ms. Morrison was known for her loving nature and prided herself in taking good care of her family, especially her mom, Terri, and her cats, Kingston and Chubby. She lived near the beach and, during warm summer days, loved barbecuing with her fiancé Marc, his kids Carter and Camille and friends. She had a considerable sweet tooth, having been known to eat an entire tray of brownies, and delighted in baking cookies with Camille.

Music was a big part of Ms. Morrison’s life. She was a huge fan of New Kids on the Block as a girl and then developed a taste for alternative rock bands like Incubus, Rage Against the Machine and Coldplay as well as hip hop acts like Wu-Tang Clan. Most recently, she added the infectious Lorde song “Royals” to her “muffin mix,” a playlist of her favorite tunes.

She also loved settling down to watch movies, with old favorites including the original animated version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Dark Crystal, Aliens, The Secret of NIMH and Die Hard.

Ms. Morrison was a constant daydreamer, often drifting off to “Brookeland.” She had a keen, if somewhat warped, sense of humor that more than occasionally fell into the “rated-R” category.

“Brooke was beautiful, intelligent and the light of many lives,” her family shared. “She was loved by all who knew her, and her artwork was enjoyed by anyone who was lucky enough to see it.”

Ms. Morrison is survived by her parents, Brian and Terri Pfahler of Upland; by her sister, London, of Upland; by her brother and sister-in-law, Nicholas and Stephanie Pfahler of La Verne; by her brother, Zachary, and his fiancée Jessica of Claremont; and by her grandparents, Edwin and Anne Pfahler of Mansfield, Ohio and Nancy Elmore of Upland. She also leaves her fiancé, Marc Hadley, and his children, Carter and Camille, of Capistrano Beach.

In lieu of flowers, the family request that donations be made to the American Cancer Society.