Karen Moran

1951 - 04

Karen Moran, 62, of Portland, Maine, formerly of Pittsburgh, died Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2013, a graceful warrior against acute myeloid leukemia. With her sparkling intellect, dazzling smile and delightful sense of humor, she enchanted all who knew her. Several people remarked that it was unique that so many considered Karen their best friend. The daughter of Betty McGregor Moran and the late Maurice E. "Duke" Moran, Karen was born April 16, 1951, in Pittsburgh, and grew up in White Oak. She earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Karen began her career as a Leadership Development Specialist at Mellon Bank in Pittsburgh. In the early 80's, she served as a Human Resource consultant at UNUM in Maine. After moving to Minneapolis, she was Vice President of Organization Development at U.S. Bank. Later, as vice president at Kaleel Jamison Consulting Group, Karen's consulting practice focused on diversity and inclusiveness. She also served on the faculty of the OSD program at the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland, where she is remembered lovingly as a brilliant teacher. One of Karen's former students still "sees her in a circle of students, stretching their imagination of what was possible for each of them." In recent years, Karen had a private organization development practice and shared the managing director role at Consulting Partners Inc., with her husband. She was the founding organizer of the Integral Leadership Training Consortium, Dream Partners. Her interests were wide-ranging, but Karen had a passion for learning, music, books, electronics, TV (both great and terrible), and deep and spirited conversations. As one of her many friends remarked, she cast a bright, bright light. Karen will forever be recalled as a "powerful presence of love and laughter." Another friend saw Karen as "a model of woman -- caring, funny, brilliant, discriminating, and so beautiful -- inside and out." Karen is survived by her beloved husband, Richard "Dick" Hallstein; her mother, Betty; stepdaughters, Denice (Zita Lazzarini) Hallstein and Lynn (Michel) Hallstein-Bruhwiler; stepson, Jon; stepgrandsons, Joshua, Jean-Philippe, Salem, Luca and Ariel; brother, Jeff (Chris) Moran; sisters, Jean and Patrice; nieces, Caitlin and Liz; nephew, Ian; the Bethel Women; the Salt Marsh community; her Dream Partners; and her dear friends. A memorial service to celebrate and honor Karen's life will be held from 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2013, at Merriconeag Community Hall, 57 Desert Road, Freeport, Maine, with a reception to follow at 45 Salt Marsh Lane in Yarmouth. Arrangements are under the care of JONES, RICH and HUTCHINS FUNERAL HOME, 199 Woodford St., Portland. Those who choose can make a memorial contribution in Karen's name to Maine Women's Fund, 565 Congress St., Suite 306, Portland, ME 04141or The Jimmy Fund, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284-9168. Please include a note indicating that your contribution is in memory of Karen Moran. Please visit http://www.jonesrichandhutchins.com for additional information and to sign Karen's online guestbook.