On August 12th, 2018 Tom Moran passed away after a short bout of illness aged 65. His funeral was on the following Friday at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Born in 1952 on Staten Island to an Irish-American father and an Irish-Italian-American mother, Moran graduated with a degree in mathematics in 1975 and immediately went to work for Mutual of America. Starting in the mailroom, he eventually became the CEO and president of the entire company.

While insurance was his business, Moran’s true calling was in the world of charitable outreach and political activism. A key figure in the Irish Peace Process in the early 90s, he was introduced to the problems in Northern Ireland years before by his then-boss Bill Flynn. Working quietly with the aim of creating a broader peace, Moran was well respected during his time in Ireland by both sides of the conflict. When he received the Irish American of the Year Award in 2008, he was honored by former Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, protestant loyalist Ian Paisley, and Gerry Adams, former leader of the Sinn Fein party. It was a testament to Moran character that both Paisley and Adams praised him, considering their incongruous political and social beliefs.

After his time in Ireland, Moran joined the humanitarian organization Concern Worldwide and became the U.S. chairman in 2001. It was in this position that he was able to focus on his passion–combating poverty in countries all over the world, from Sri Lanka to Somalia. When he wasn’t running a Fortune 1000 corporation or providing humanitarian aid to those in need, Moran was laughing and bringing joy to others. A truly inspirational figure, Moran was a giant amongst the Irish-American community. He is dearly missed not just by those who knew him, but by the people he and his organization helped and by those he inspired with his largesse and dedication to making the world a better place.

There’s so much more to say about Tom, and while we could continue on with a routine list of facts used to approximate what the deceased represented and accomplished in his lifetime. But this sort of thing is unfit for a man of Moran’s stature…

A year after Tom’s passing, we remember his noble life and continue to honor his legacy

We invite you to lend your support to the ongoing work of Concern Worldwide, in memory of Tom Moran. 90 cents out of every dollar goes to our work in 25 of the world’s poorest countries