Mary Catherine Moran

Durham, NC – Mary Catherine Moran (nee Tomlinson), 83, joined many awaiting loved ones in Heaven on the morning of November 10, 2025. A proud native New Yorker, Mary was born to parents John and Margaret Tomlinson, first generation immigrants from Scotland and Ireland who met and married in America. Mary was the sixth of eight Tomlinson children born and raised in the bustling mid-century Bronx, the backdrop to many of the vibrant stories she told over her lifetime and the origin of her lifelong NY accent, her love of humanity of all kinds, and her taste for good pizza.
Mary cherished the memories of her school years at Cathedral High School and her early working days at Springs Mills in Manhattan, but she found her calling in life when she married George Moran and started her family. A natural caretaker and nurturer, the role of MOM came easily and joyfully to Mary. She was deeply proud of her 3 children, Maria, Julie, and Brendan - names that have been woven together into one word over a lifetime of saying it in a story or yelling it out the back porch door at dusk.
Anyone who met Mary immediately felt the warmth of her welcoming conversation. Her ability to find common ground sprang from her belief that "it doesn't cost anything to smile" and that the best outcome of an interaction was "a lotta laughs." Mary never met a stranger. She could make a friend or share a laugh in any setting: in the aisles of a supermarket or in a 2 am autograph line outside Shea stadium after a 15-inning Mets game in 1983.
Mary had extreme talent with her hands, expressed in many diverse ways: her beautiful cursive and printed writing, her expert present wrapping, her green thumb for gardening, and her easy skill in games like ping pong, "hit the stick", and softball. Mary also possessed an exceptional range of common sense, street smarts, and a fierce, protective loyalty that was rooted in a deeply known sense of what was just and right. She was unafraid to share her opinion and to speak her mind, especially on behalf of those she loved and cared about. Above all, Mary's superpower was an ability to transmit her love beyond her words - through her patient presence, countless homemade treats including her zucchini bread and famous apple pie, her warm and chatty phone calls, or through a soothing arm rub or an extra-long hug. Being in Mary's life meant experiencing her love, and whether it was for a moment or a lifetime, it was always special.
Mary is survived by her husband of 54 years, George, who was spoiled for decades by her piping hot meals and her loving companionship as they raised their family in Kinnelon, NJ, and when they relocated to North Carolina to enjoy their retirement. George and Mary loved many simple pleasures: a long walk, hot coffee, a good pastry cut down the center to share, taking a drive to get a small vanilla ice cream cone, listening to a baseball game, and traveling to see family.
She loved and cherished her family beyond measure. Her legacy lives on in her children and grandchildren: her daughter Maria and her husband Tim, and children Quinn, Kate, and Reece; her daughter Julie and her husband Rich, and children Bronwyn and Corinne; and her son, Brendan, and his wife, Aven, and children Lane and Alden. She was the beloved sister to her siblings: Elsie, Jim, Brian, Peggy, John, Tom, and Pat, and aunt of many nieces and nephews, with an extended family that has grown exponentially with each generation. Mary loved celebrations and gatherings with family over her lifetime, especially anything centered around her beloved mother, "Nana", to all who knew and loved her.
She is being brought home to New York for her final rest and will be buried near her parents' gravesite at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, NY. A mass to celebrate her life will be held on November 24, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at the Our Lady Queen of Peace on the grounds of Gate of Heaven, 10 W. Stevens Ave., Hawthorne, NY 10532. Burial immediately to follow. In lieu of flowers or donations in her name, anyone aiming to celebrate Mary's legacy is asked to make a kind gesture today, to give a little more than usual, or to help out someone in need.