Stephen Moran

LAKELAND -- Driving a motorcycle to work while wearing a Hawaiian shirt, Tevas and shorts every day, Mr. Stephen William Moran was not your typical attorney. "Clients would see him and take a step back," said his partner of 16 years, Jon Tileston. "Then they would become convinced because he was so well versed in what he did." "He was the best in the field in this state," Tileston said. On Monday, the fun-loving attorney with the booming voice suffered a heart attack and died before taking a swim at his home. He was 58. "We had an incredible relationship," said his only daughter, Heather Moran. "He is the most important man in my life." Tileston and Heather Moran said Mr. Moran had a distinct approach to the practice of law. "He never coddled his wealthy clients," Tileston said. "He treated everyone the same." "This knocks the fun out of law," he said of Mr. Moran's death. Born in Champaign, Ill., on Sept. 15, 1944, Mr. Moran came to Lakeland in 1971. Before starting a private practice, Mr. Moran served as general counsel for the local district of the Florida Department of Transportation. He was responsible for acquiring right of way for all transportation projects in Polk, Pasco, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Sarasota, Manatee, Desoto, Collier, Lee and Hardee Counties. One of his projects included acquiring the right of way for Alligator Alley across Collier County. He was instrumental in negotiating cross purchase agreements with several government agencies that resulted in thousands of acres of the Everglades being permanently preserved. He entered private practice 16 years ago, representing property owners in eminent domain cases. He was a partner in the firm of Moran and Tileston, P.A., in Lakeland and Tampa. When he wasn't practicing law, Mr. Moran enjoyed riding one of his six motorcycles or traveling with his wife, Anne. The couple had just returned from a tour of the Civil War battlefields in Pennsylvania and Virginia, Heather Moran said. Heather Moran, the owner of the Doggie Bag on East Edgewood Street, said she never felt pressure to be an attorney. "He encouraged people to be themselves," Heather Moran said. Mr. Moran is survived by his wife, Anne Moran; daughter, Heather C. Moran, Lakeland; and son, Theodore Michaelis, Lakeland. Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Artists Gallery, 802 E. Orange St., Lakeland. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of the donor's choice. Heath Funeral Chapel, Lakeland.