Michael Dennis Moran

He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Jacque Moran; his beloved granddaughter, Lillian; and his favorite pets, Jocko the golden retriever and Van Gogh the one-eared cat, who undoubtedly greeted him first.

Mike was born in Spokane in 1944 and grew up in Seattle. His father, Bob Moran, served as regional manager for Texaco in the Seattle area during the 1950s. Mike spent his childhood on Capitol Hill and attended Garfield High School, where he made a name for himself as a junior tennis standout at the Seattle Tennis Club, where his parents were longtime members. He competed actively in junior tennis and won the Northwest Junior Tennis Championship at age 19 in 1962. He went on to play at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon. While the trophies eventually stopped, the competitive spirit never did, a drive that later carried him through 13 marathons.

Mike also served as a Corporal in the United States Marine Corps Reserves during the Vietnam War. He enlisted in 1967 and attended boot camp at MCRD San Diego, an experience he carried with quiet pride and a no-nonsense attitude.

He built a long career in hospitality, managing Westin Hotels across the country before finishing as General Manager of the Mayflower Park Hotel in downtown Seattle. Along the way, he managed properties in Colorado Springs, Colorado; Bloomfield Hills, Michigan; Kansas City, Missouri; Charlotte, North Carolina; and multiple locations in the Seattle area, including the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, the DoubleTree in Tukwila, and “The Hotel Alternative” extended-stay properties on the Eastside, an early version of what would later become a major lodging trend. After two decades in hotel management, he decided working for someone else was overrated and went into business for himself, owning a Dairy Queen in Kansas City and a video store in the Renton Highlands, two ventures that ensured he always knew exactly what people were eating and watching.

Mike had a soft spot for animals, though “soft spot” might be putting it mildly. He was known to feed neighborhood raccoons and coyotes, reflecting both his generosity and his willingness to ignore conventional sensibilities.

A loyal Seattle sports fan, he rarely missed a chance to watch or listen to the Seahawks or Mariners, sticking with them through good seasons and, more impressively, the not-so-good ones. He also adopted the University of Michigan football team when his son Coby enrolled there, though his support was temporarily suspended whenever they faced the Washington Huskies.

He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Annette (Johnson) Moran; his son, Colonel Coby Moran, USMC, and his wife, Cecilia, of San Clemente, California, and their children, Aiden and Nora; his daughter, Marni (Moran) Sands, and her husband, Scott, of Issaquah, Washington, and their children, Emily and Jackson; and his sister, Marsha (Moran) Barrett, and her husband, Bruce, of Rose Hill, Kansas.

Mike will be remembered for his quick wit, his love of sports, exercise, and animals, and his ability to turn ordinary moments into lasting memories. He lived fully and competitively, with a sense of humor that ensured nothing stayed too serious for too long.

In his honor, you might consider going for a run, watching a Seattle game, or feeding a local animal something you probably shouldn’t.