John M. Moran

John Moran never met a stranger. His warm and outgoing nature endeared him to all he met. John deeply loved many things in life - most of all, his wife Maggie and their three daughters, Patty, Kathy, and Marsha. He had a passion for all things automotive, the family farm, and telling stories. Even into his 90’s John could and did describe in detail the cars his Uncle George brought to the farm to show off in the 1920s.

John was born July 10, 1919 to Lottie Pickett and Charles Walker Moran in the Victorian house on the family grape farm near the shores of Lake Erie. From a very early age John was popular with his peers. He attended school in Fredonia, New York, and was elected as class president every year in high school and college.

In 1941 John enlisted in the Army Air Corps and served as a celestial navigation instructor throughout WWII. While stationed at San Marcos, he fell in love with and married Magdalen Millsaps , an English teacher in Lockhart, Texas. After the war he completed his education at Fredonia State Teachers College in 1946.

In 1952 John entered the industry that he loved when he joined Chrysler Corporation as a District Representative for Dodge. After building a successful career as a salesman in New York, John transferred to the Chrysler Training Center in 1957 in Centerline, Michigan. His big break came the next year when he was asked to join The International Division of Chrysler in Geneva, Switzerland.

This move was a life changing event for the whole family. While John traveled the world for Chrysler, Maggie stayed in Geneva and the girls attended the International School of Geneva (Ecolint). Ecolint, with its varied student body and multicultural environment, enriched and broadened their understanding and experience of the world. They have many happy memories of their travels in Europe. John counted the excellent education that his daughters received as his greatest success.

John returned to Detroit in 1967 where he accepted a new position at the Chrysler Training Center. In 1975 he retired and John and Maggie moved to Austin. John served the Texas Independent Automotive Association until his final retirement in 1987.

In Austin John and Maggie joined St. David’s Episcopal Church where John continued to make friends of everyone he met. He also served on the Board of the O’Henry Foundation and was an early and faithful member of Austin’s Squires’ club.

John is survived by: his wife of 67 years, Magdalen; three daughters and their families; Patricia and Richard Steelman, Kathleen and Timothy Brown, Marsha and Milt Sackett, six grandchildren, Jacob Steelman and wife Dona Chen, Rebecca Steelman and husband Miguel Angel Mayal, Holly Sackett and Ashlee Sackett , Karen Brown and husband Stephen King, Kevin Brown and wife Jessie, and two great grandchildren Kaia and Finley Brown and many loving nieces and nephews.

We wish to thank the professional and compassionate caregivers from Hospice Austin who made it possible for John to remain at home: and the caregivers of Right at Home for helping maintain a semblance of normalcy.

Memorial Services will be held Saturday January 14, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. in the sanctuary of St. David’s Episcopal Church, Austin, Texas. If you wish to honor John please make a contribution to the charity of your choice.

To share memories of John with his family, please visit www.cookwaldencapitalparks.com