John M. Moran

John Moran, 94, died in Plymouth, MA on November 24, 2025, after a brief illness. Just days earlier he celebrated his birthday with his sons, cutting wood, tending his chickens, and enjoying lobster rolls with family.
He is survived by his wife Gretchen; sister Sarah; sons Thomas (Ellyn Crutcher), Peter (Ingeborg Sacksen), John (Marissa), and Michael (Mary Elizabeth Kenney); stepsons Marshall and Douglas (Ellen); grandchildren Analiesa Sacksen; James, Charles, and Luca Moran; and Teegan, Reid, and Maeva Moran; Katherine and Allison Ainley; and seven nieces and nephews, and was predeceased by his brother Ken Moran and his nephew Phillip Smith.
Born in Nashua, NH, and raised in Jamestown, ND, John was a standout high school athlete and an excellent student. After a postgraduate year at Phillips Exeter Academy, he entered Dartmouth College as a member of the Class of 1954, started the two-year program at Dartmouth Medical School in his senior year, and completed medical school at Cornell in 1957.
He trained in surgery at New York Hospital, served in the Air Force Medical Corps, completed residency at Boston City Hospital, and pursued advanced fellowship training at Massachusetts General Hospital and in England.
John spent his career in academic medicine, holding surgical professorships at Tufts, Loyola, Northwestern, Brown, and the University of Massachusetts. He established Tufts' coronary surgery program and later helped pioneer electrophysiologic heart surgery at Northwestern.
As a cardiovascular surgeon he saved, improved, or prolonged thousands of lives via surgery. Always humble, he likened his work to "fixing pipes and valves," calling himself a "human plumber." He authored more than 120 papers and book chapters and served on the editorial board of the Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
After retiring to Plymouth, he remained active in civic life, serving on town committees, representing his precinct, and working with the Pilgrim Society. He pursued many hobbies, making furniture, digging clams, raising chickens, swimming in the ocean, and gardening.
He continued his affiliation with Dartmouth Medical School, serving as the first president of the Alumni Council, a member of the Board of Overseers, DMS '55 class agent and secretary for many years.
John was board certified in General and Thoracic Surgery, and a member of all the appropriate medical and surgical societies, including the Boston Surgical Society, American Medical Association, Society of Vascular Surgery, American Association of Thoracic Surgery and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
He led fundraising efforts for an endowed chair at Dartmouth-Hitchcock in honor of his classmate and good friend O. Ross McIntyre, who established and for many years led the Dartmouth Cancer Center. He also led fundraising efforts for a scholarship fund in honor of former DMS Dean Rolf Syvertsen.
Son, father, grandfather, uncle, husband, and friend; surgeon, professor, researcher, mentor, and author; steadfast classmate and loyal alumnus; local representative, trustee, committee member, and contributor; lifelong gardener, skier, traveler, woodworker, boat builder, clam digger, composter, and chicken farmer-John lived a life defined by humility, kindness, gentle character, and unwavering dedication. His was the consummate full life, well lived.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Dartmouth Cancer Center https://dhmcalumdev.hitchcock.org/giving/cancer-care-support. In accordance with John's wishes, there will be no formal service. A celebration of life in Plymouth MA is planned for the spring.