The Passing of Joey Moran – by Johnny Bivera

The Sicilian crew with Mt. Etna in the background. Joey Moran with the long flowing hair in the middle just above me and Jonathan Blosser.

My dearest friend Joyce ‘Joey’ Moran passed away in the early morning hours of Monday.  This stuns me to the core so much to now have both Moran parents removed from our world and their young son Dane.  Joey is a retired Navy Photographer’s Mate who worked for the Office of Naval Intelligence like her husband Gerald ‘Jerry’ Moran who was killed on 9/11 at the Pentagon.  The Moran’s treated me like family when I was a young sailor in Sicily.  They had this wonderful home on a cliff just south of Catania overlooking a small private beach they shared with a neighbor where many weekends were spent on the patio for cheese and wine.  They loved each other very much, you could feel it every day you were around them.Jerry was an exceptional chef, who loved to cook Italian for everyone while Joey was the ever-smiling host.  I remember Jerry, Shannon and Dane keep an eye on me while I was out surfing huge waves near Siracusa.  Joey ran the photo lab at Sigonella while Jerry worked at the base exchange.  They took care of every combat camera detachment that came through their area and any Photomate that needed assistance.   Jerry survived the barracks bombing during the Beirut conflict while working as a combat cameraman, but fate caught up with him at the Pentagon on that dreaded September 11th day.  We’ve lost three of the Moran family, to be survived by daughter Shannon. There was a viewing at Lee Funeral Home in Clinton, MD on Saturday March 26th where family, friends and colleagues paid their last respect.  I arrived at the last minute, I didn’t want to say good-bye, there’s been a lot of that around me lately.  Joey was interned at the columbarium in Arlington National Cemetery on June 1st 2011 at 11 AM.

Joey’s Obituary

Joyce “Joey” Athena Moran, 51, was born in Morrison, Illinois, on September 27, 1959, to her parents, John “Jack” Brearton and his wife, Jo Ann.  Joey graduated from Morrison High School in 1977 where she was a member of the yearbook committee and when she realized her passion for photography.

Joey turned her photographic passion into a career in 1978, when she enlisted in the U.S. Navy.  It was the navy that brought Joey together with the love of her life Jerry Moran.  Joyce and Jerry wed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1984.  Jerry was released from the Navy after completion of his initial five-year contract to travel with Joey to various photo labs and duty stations to include Sicily, Hawaii, Orlando, Norfolk and Little Creek, Va.

She often told stories of their travels throughout Europe, like camping in Germany and time spent on Italian beaches.  Joey organized family cruise trips, weekend ski trips, and often hosted social gatherings at her home for barbecues, Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday parties for colleagues, friends and family.   Her daughter Shannon is a graduate of Towson University while son Dane pursues his love of specialty car maintenance.  Joey was an avid cook and shared that love with Shannon.  Joey surrendered to Jerry’s love of football and learned everything she could about the NFL and eventually became an avid Washington Redskins fan.

In 1998, Joey retired from the Navy as a First Class Photographer’s Mate after a successful 20-year career.  Following her retirement from active duty, Joey worked for the Office of Naval Intelligence as a civilian data collections expert after a brief period of employment with BAE Systems.  Throughout her naval career and her subsequent employment as a civilian with the Department of the Navy, Joey was famous for mentoring and taking Junior Sailors and new employees under her wing.

Joey earned the following commendations during her naval career; the Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, three Navy Unit Commendations, three Meritorious Unit Commendations, four Good Conduct Medals, National Defense Service Medal, Navy Expeditionary Medal, NATO Medal, Navy “E” Ribbon, three Overseas Service Ribbons, Armed Forces Service Medal and nine Flag Letters of Commendation.  Joey was named Junior Sailor of the Quarter and Sailor of the Quarter several times throughout her career and was named Sailor of the Quarter in the first quarter of 1996 while serving as the leading Petty Officer in the ONI-3 Directorate.  In 2005 she was awarded the Cooper-Moran IT Distinguished Civilian Award, named in part for her husband Jerry, who gave his life in service of his country on September 11, 2001 during the terrorists attack on the Pentagon.

Joey died of natural causes on March 21, 2011 at her home in Brandywine, Md.  She is survived by her mother Jo Ann Brearton and her siblings Judy “Jess” of Wichita, Kansas; Jerry of Brandwine, Md., Janice “Janie” of Morrison, Ill., step sister Cindy of Morrison, Ill., and half brother James “Jimbo” of Charleston, South Carolina.