SLS 15RS-2238 ORIGINAL
2015 Regular Session
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 119
BY SENATOR ALARIO
CONDOLENCES. Expresses condolences upon the death of Thomas J. Moran.
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2 To express the sincere condolences of the Legislature of Louisiana upon the death of
3 Thomas J. Moran.
4 WHEREAS, it is with deep regret and profound sorrow that the citizens of Louisiana
5 learned of the death of Thomas J. Moran on May 18, 2015, at the age of eighty-four; and
6 WHEREAS, Thomas J. Moran was born on September 30, 1930, in Chicago, Illinois;
7 and
8 WHEREAS, he attended the University of Wisconsin and was the first college
9 graduate in his family; and
10 WHEREAS, a proud Korean War veteran, Mr. Moran served as a first lieutenant in
11 the armed forces and was a member of the military police stationed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia;
12 and
13 WHEREAS, at the age of nine, he began caddying and developed an enduring
14 passion for golf which eventually led to being a founding member of the Country Club of
15 Louisiana Highlander Tournament; and
16 WHEREAS, Mr. Moran was a lifelong entrepreneur with many business ventures,
17 including appliance and furniture stores, automobile dealerships, construction and real estate
18 developments, advertising agencies, and radio stations to name a few; and
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1 WHEREAS, in the early 1970s, a business opportunity took him to New Orleans
2 where he discovered Ruth's Chris Steak House and convinced the owner, Ruth Fertel, to
3 allow him to open the first Ruth's Chris Steak House franchise in 1975 in Prairieville, and
4 in 1978, he moved the restaurant to its current location on Constitution Avenue in Baton
5 Rouge; and
6 WHEREAS, once the largest franchisee of Ruth's Chris Steak House, he also held
7 franchises in eleven other cities; and
8 WHEREAS, in 1987, Mr. Moran founded his first TJ Ribs location in Baton Rouge
9 which featured baby back ribs and showcased a display of Louisiana State University sports
10 memorabilia including the 1959 Heisman Memorial Trophy awarded to Billy Cannon; and
11 WHEREAS, he would go on to open Ninfa's Mexican Restaurant in 1992 and
12 DiNardo's Italian Restaurant, which was later changed to Ruffino's; and
13 WHEREAS, Mr. Moran was a founding director and contributor to the Dale Brown
14 Foundation which promotes educational opportunities for college students of varied
15 backgrounds; and
16 WHEREAS, he served on the boards of the Pennington Biomedical Center
17 Foundation, Girls and Boys Town, and the Baton Rouge River Center; and
18 WHEREAS, a well-known and respected philanthropist in the Baton Rouge
19 community, Mr. Moran helped many organizations, including the Boy Scouts of America-
20 Istrouma Area Council, the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, the St. Jude
21 Children's Research Hospital, and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation; and
22 WHEREAS, as a twenty-six year survivor of esophageal cancer, he felt indebted to
23 the physicians and staff at Mary Bird Perkins - Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center and was
24 inspired to become a longtime supporter of the nonprofit cancer care organization; and
25 WHEREAS, in 1990, Mr. Moran was a founding member of the Charity Golf
26 Classic, as it was then called, and today, the tournament is one of the largest fundraising
27 events which generates funds to save countless lives and allows for the creation of many new
28 patient programs and services; and
29 WHEREAS, he also envisioned and assumed leadership for the"Beating Cancer
30 Brick by Brick" capital campaign for the construction of the six-story addition to the cancer
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1 center; and
2 WHEREAS, in 2010, in addition to his sustained support, Mr. Moran made an
3 extraordinary one million dollar gift to the endowment of the cancer center's foundation to
4 ensure that patients and their families are provided access to all the services they need now
5 and in the future; and
6 WHEREAS, most recently, as part of the renovation and expansion project at the
7 cancer center, the Thomas J. Moran Imaging Center, named in his honor, was unveiled and
8 offers the latest in diagnostic technologies for treatment planning and follow-up care; and
9 WHEREAS, his business philosophy can be simply stated, "Try to find a way to
10 make it better every day."; and
11 WHEREAS, he was preceded in death by his much-loved nephew and best friend,
12 Thomas J. Kiebach, D.D.S.; and
13 WHEREAS, he is survived by his loving companion, Judy Byers; his wife, Lois
14 Burke Moran; his children, Erin Thrash, Elizabeth Vance, Megan Moran, Kathleen Jensen,
15 and Burke Moran; and his grandchildren, Leigh Vance Banaszak, Mallory Thrash Kridler,
16 Brent Thrash, Cullen Vance, Sam Thrash, Katherine Jensen, Samantha Jensen, Thomas
17 Moran, and Michael Moran; and
18 WHEREAS, as a dedicated community volunteer, Mr. Moran has significantly
19 improved the quality of life for many residents in Baton Rouge and throughout Louisiana;
20 and
21 WHEREAS, his humanitarian impact on the community, often from behind the
22 scenes and away from public view, has touched the lives of young people, the disadvantaged,
23 and those in need of medical treatment; and
24 WHEREAS, with the death of Thomas J. Moran, Louisiana has lost one of its finest
25 citizens who was admired by all whose lives he touched and will be greatly missed; and
26 WHEREAS, his passing has left a tremendous void in the Baton Rouge community,
27 but his love, smile, and personality shall remain eternal in the hearts and minds of his loved
28 ones, friends, and all who had the opportunity to meet and know him.
29 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
30 express sincere and heartfelt condolences upon the death of Thomas J. Moran, does hereby
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1 extend enduring appreciation for the pride and honor that this wonderful gentleman brought
2 to his family, friends, community, and state, and does hereby recognize and record for
3 posterity his accomplishments and contributions to the citizenry of Baton Rouge and the
4 state of Louisiana.
5 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
6 family of Thomas J. Moran.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Nancy Vicknair.
DIGEST
SCR 119 Original 2015 Regular Session Alario
Expresses condolences upon the death of Thomas J. Moran.
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