Stewart T. Moran III

Stewart T. Moran III, 44, of Atlanta, GA, passed away peacefully on March 4, 2022, after persevering through years of cancer treatments. He is survived by his devoted husband, John Morgenstern and their loyal dog, Henry J.; his loving mother, Kay Moran; brother Todd Moran and his partner, Jenn Anagnostopoulos; uncle and aunt William and Nancy Yang; aunt Deborah Johnston; parents-in-law Bonnie and John Morgenstern; and sister-in-law Melissa Bonnell. He leaves behind many cherished friends who became members of his extended family, including Robin and Brendan Carolan, Aaron and Alyssa Handler, Tom Torello, Neal Toomey, Sameer Asher, Rachael Vorberg-Rugh, Tim Smith, and Francisco and Ali Duque. He was predeceased by his beloved father, Stewart “Mike” Moran, Jr., his uncle Thomas C. Johnston, and his grandparents.

Stewart was born in Sault Ste. Marie, MI and spent his adolescence in Lake Zurich, IL. At Lake Zurich High School, he played clarinet in the marching and concert bands, and saxophone in the jazz band, which instigated a lifelong passion for music—even in his final days, he would conduct as he listened on the TV or radio. Stewart deeply valued education: he earned two undergraduate degrees in biochemistry and biology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a PhD in immunology from Harvard University, and a JD from Boston University.

After law school, he moved to London and worked as an associate at Linklaters, an opportunity that afforded regular travel to continental Europe and introduced him to some of his favorite things and pastimes: Sunday roasts, evenings at the pub with friends and colleagues, Scotch eggs, and watching football (not the American variety). He then moved to New York and worked as an associate at Kirkland & Ellis before settling in Atlanta, where he worked as an associate at Paul Hastings before joining the legal team at Carter’s.

Those who knew Stewart knew that he was a formidable opponent at games of all kinds: he could outpace just about anyone at Mario Kart, except perhaps his brother, and he could complete a New York Times Saturday crossword in minutes. He was an omnivorous reader, devouring histories, mysteries, and classics in equal measure (he would enjoy almost any book so long as it had an established and believable setting). He made a science of baking bread and an art of drinking tea. He was an NPR junkie—the hour when Wait Wait . . . Don’t Tell Me! aired was sacrosanct to him.

He will be remembered for his tireless work ethic, his sharp wit, his dry humor, and his unfaltering devotion to those he loved. The family would welcome memories or photos of Stewart at the following email address: [email protected]. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Atlanta Humane Society (https://atlantahumane.org/) at 981 Howell Mill Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30318.