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