Morris Jesso
Born: October 31, 1951, St. John’s
ALMOST SINCE THE FIRST settlement of Newfoundland the name Jesso has been synonymous with death, the disposal of remains and the grief of loss. Bartholomew Jesso (1580-1671) a ship’s chaplain arrived in the plantation at Cupids with John Guy in 1610 and stayed on with his family after the settlement was evacuated. At Cupids Bartholomew Jesso established the first sanctified burial grounds on the island. A legacy of interment that has lasted ten generation had begun.
Capitalizing on three centuries of military conflict and pestilence the Jesso mortuary enterprise has expanded and diversified. Morris Jesso took the family business into the realm of media when he launched Interred with Morris Jesso on the BCN in 1979.
Interred, a weekly round-up of issues related to death and dying was an immediate success and has remained the highest rated program on the BCN since.
Until 1987, when demands of the programme grew too onerous, Morris continued to manage, with his brother Horace, the family chain of funeral parlors.
Morris divides his time between the production of Interred and numerous speaking engagements. Morris has made several cameo appearances in Newfoundland produced film and television projects and has always proven an audience favorite.
Morris is an accomplished amateur taxidermist and has a black belt in karate.
Artistic representation by The Ewan Quinlan Talent Group
Contact 709-576-5238