Rich Moran

February 15, 2013

Zeta 1963 – 1964

Richard John Moran, Zeta Pledge Class, Graduated 1965

Richie “The Bear” Moran,

1943-2013

The Bear was tough, that was an absolute fact. And he came by his toughness honestly, through genetics. His father was a US Army Ranger who climbed the cliffs of Pont du Hoc in Normandy on D-Day, and was also a great football player, football coach and earned part-time money as a sparring partner for Two-Ton Tony Galento.

Richie was an All-Prep two-way end as a junior at St. Benedict’s, and an All-State 6 foot, 230 pound halfback for his father in his senior year at Weehawken High School. His switch from end was due to vision problems that would hinder his future athletic career and indeed his life. He received a full football scholarship to the University of Delaware, but had to quit football and transfer out after his freshman year because of those vision problems.

He entered Newark State as a sophomore and in November of his junior year was pledged to Sigma Beta Tau. He played football for the fraternity and starred as a two-way lineman in the game that snapped Sigma Theta Chi’s unbeaten football winning streak. In that game he threw a devastating block on Chi’s all-star lineman Ron Barone. After the collision it was noticed that Barone was missing two front teeth, and the Bear had them jammed into his head. After a quick halftime trip to the hospital in Union to stitch his head up, the Bear borrowed a watch cap and played the second half. Yeah, that kind of tough.

He had a varied career for the rest of his life, mostly with the New York Carpenter’s union where he served as a worker, a boss, a rep, and, if truth be known, as a sort of a sergeant at arms often dealing with recalcitrant contractors. His vision problems worsened and limited what he could do. He sometimes dealt with the problems by self-medication, and had what his Irish ancestors would have referred to as the “Thirst.” But he was always a good friend and always there when anyone needed him.

His toughness had to get him through his problems and through the pain and sickness that shadowed him off and on through his life, and it did. He beat his demons and he beat a lot of odds until the odds became too much against him. He had severe physical limitations later in his life, but suffered them without complaint and with the stoic courage that marked his entire life. To the very end, as far as I was concerned, he was always the toughest man in the room.

JJ Dowling,  Epsilon Pledge Class

Obituary from the funeral home …

Richard J. Moran, 70, of Point Pleasant, passed away, Friday, February 15, 2013. Born and raised in Newark, he has lived in Point Pleasant since 1998. He graduated from Weehawken High School and attended both the University of Delaware and Kean College. 

Mr. Moran was a member of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America and the Lions Club. He was preceded in death by his father, Leo W. Moran, and his sister, Susan Moran. 

Surviving are his mother, Mildred Booth Moran of Point Pleasant; two sons, Sean and Jeremy Moran, and his wife Lindy, all of Atlanta, GA; his sisters, Patricia Moran Biese, Kathleen Moran, and Maureen Moran Rodriguez; and several nieces and nephews. 

At 11 a.m., Monday, Feb. 18, a Memorial Liturgy will be celebrated at the Church of Saint Martha, 3800 Herbertsville Road, Point Pleasant. 

As an expression of sympathy, donations made in his memory to the Lions Club International www.lionsclubs.org would be appreciated. 

For online condolences to the family visit www.pableevertzfuneralhome.com