John Moran

John R. Moran, Jr., husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, and friend, passed away peacefully on the morning of May 30, 2023.  John was born on June 15, 1930 in Oklahoma City, OK to John R. and Josephine Farley Moran.  John was a man of letters, words, laughter, jokes, adventures, and stories. He lived his life with compassion, love and, more than anything, he valued his family, faith and friends.

John’s formative education, under the Jesuits at Regis Jesuit High School (1948) and later at the University of Notre Dame (1952), established the moral foundation to which he dedicated his life.  He received the degrees of Bachelor of Laws and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Denver in 1955.  John began his law career working with his father at Moran, Reidy and Voorhees.  In his law practice he represented healthcare-related clients and foundations which ultimately led to his career move in 1991, when he joined the Colorado Trust as President and Chief Executive Officer.   It was through the Colorado Trust that John was able to enrich the lives of many Coloradans by supporting and improving healthcare in underserved communities.

John also served as a commissioned officer with the U.S. Navy on active duty (1955-1958), and as a member of the Colorado House of Representatives from 1963 to 1965.  His time in the Navy fueled his lifelong love of airplanes.

John served as a Trustee of the Virginia Hill Foundation since 1969 and was a Trustee and past Chairman of the Board of Regis College (now Regis University).  Throughout his career, John was part of numerous philanthropic organizations, and humbly received recognition from many of them.  John was most notably recognized by Philanthropy Colorado and the Conference of Southwest Foundations.

John was married to the love of his life, Barbara, for 67 years.  Together they traveled the world, hiked 14’ers, skied, fly-fished, and shared adventures with family and close friends.  John was an avid reader of history and could remember dates and historical events without consulting references.  He loved Willie Nelson and would always break out with “On the Road Again” at the beginning of a road trip.

Forever young at heart, John loved a good joke and was always game for a good prank.  Perhaps none more famous than the infamous “pig story,” when he and a few of his Regis buddies released a piglet into the hallway of St. Mary’s Academy.  Once the details of the prank unfolded, John and his friends were sure that they faced expulsion from school.  While that was certainly discussed by the Jesuits, at the end of the day the punishment was a public apology and “Jug” (a/k/a – detention) for the rest of the school year.

John is survived by his six children and their spouses, nineteen grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren.

He is preceded in death by his parents, John R. Moran and Josephine F. Moran, his wife, Barbara M. Moran, brothers Martin Moran and David Moran, and his sister, Mary Jo Hartenbach.

A funeral mass will be held on Thursday, June 15, 2023 at 10:30 a.m. at Christ the King Catholic Church, located at 830 Elm Street, Denver, Colorado.

In lieu of flowers we kindly ask that you make donations to: Recovery Works, 7011 West Colfax, Lakewood, CO 80214, 720-292-1981