Edward Leonard

Edward Leonard "Len" Moran Jr, born February 18, 1924 in Superior, WI, died on March 30, 2017 in Phoenix, AZ. He was proud to be a member of the "Greatest Generation" where family, country, and hard work were his guiding principles. His grade school and high school education were completed in Superior, WI where he was a member of the football and hockey teams. Always a hard worker during high school, Len delivered theater handbills door to door; typed in an insurance office for 10 cents an hour and worked as a store stock delivery boy. Then came high school graduation in 1941 and the bombs fell on Pearl Harbor. Len attended Superior State College in 1942 and worked 10 hour shifts for the Great Northern Railroad laying track. In 1943, Len was "in the Army now" - the 87th Field Artillery Division, and following his discharge, he worked shoveling coal on a locomotive on the Great Northern Railroad. He enrolled as a student at the University of Arizona where he majored in Business and Insurance, and he Pledged Phi Delta Theta, all while also selling insurance for Northwestern Mutual Life. Len made many lifelong friends at the U of A! However, wanting to be closer to his new love Dol...[more]

View Full Online Obituary and Tributes

Len graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, while working as a short order cook to support himself. He began his insurance career in La Crosse, WI and built a successful business in Phoenix after moving to the Valley of the Sun in 1954. Len became President of the Arizona Society of Chartered Life Underwriters, President of the General Agents and Managers Association of Phoenix, and was a 40-year Life Member of the Million Dollar Round Table. He was also a founder and first President of the North Phoenix Rotary Club; a board member of Samuel P. Gompers Clinic and the Arizona Kidney Foundation. Len was the consummate "people person"...always ready with a warm smile, a positive word...and a generous heart full of wisdom and friendship. Most proud was he of the opportunity to be a mentor and partner in business with his son Eddie. He truly cherished the years they worked together to build a lucrative business at Moran Financial Services, which Eddie continues to manage today. Len met the beautiful Dolores Matushak at the annual school picnic in Superior, WI...what a momentous day it was!! They were married on October 1, 1949...a romance that never ended and a marriage that lasted for 67 years! Len and Dolly shared a life of true mutual devotion. The Morans resided on the 18th fairway of Moon Valley Country Club, in the home that Len and Dolly built in 1969. Family and friends enjoyed many years of love, music and laughter in the warmth of their home. Len and pals were regulars on the MVCC golf course, where he was proud of his 3 "hole in one" accomplishments! Ever the positive thinker, Len will always be remembered for his infamous quote: Your attitude determines your altitude! Dolores "Dolly", his beloved wife, survives Len along with their four children: Mary Lawson (George) of San Francisco and their children: Patrick (Lisa), Katie and Jake; Patty Ehmann of Phoenix and sons Bobby and Danny; Eddie III (Cathy) of Phoenix and children Madalyn and Thomas; Peggy Menotti (Matt) of San Diego and daughters Mackenzie and Molly; cherished brother Jack Moran (Irene) of Westlake Village and daughters, Katie, Susie, and Gail. Our family is eternally grateful to Marios, Violeta and Sherry for their loving care of us all. Please join us for a Celebration of Life Mass at 4:00pm on Thursday April 20, 2017 at Brophy Chapel, 4701 N. Central, Phoenix 85012. Inurnment will be private at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona. Donations will be gratefully accepted in memory of Len by Hospice Sanctuary, 13845 N. Northsight Blvd #101, Scottsdale, AZ 85260. Visit https://hansenmortuary.wpengine.com for condolences.