Patrick Moran

MORAN
Patrick James, 19, of Mont-clair, died Monday, June 9, 2014, after a two-year fight with melanoma.
A 2012 graduate of Montclair High School, he attended the College of Charleston for one semester before falling ill. A lifelong resident of Montclair, he had many close friends in town, along with 27 first cousins and several aunts and uncles who were fiercely loyal during his illness.
Patrick was known for his wit, grand enthusiasm, tender heart and his love for his younger sister, Grace, a junior at Montclair High School. He was a social animal to the bone who formed bonds easily with all types of people, including many adults. He loved to vacation at Cape Cod with his extended family, where he swam, fished, surfed, fired BB guns endlessly, and attended nightly barbecues with the many relatives who held him dear. He loved to read, dine in great restaurants, spend time with friends, listen to music, or watch a good movie.
Patrick tutored disadvantaged children in Montclair and worked as a lifeguard at Nishuane pool. He had great admiration for the military, and read voraciously about combat, especially the exploits of the Special Forces.
He handled his cancer with remarkable courage, keeping aloft those who loved him. He was in good humor until the end and even managed a midnight diner run with friends two days before his death.
He is survived by his mother, Mary Jo Layton Moran, a senior writer at The Record; his father, Thomas Moran, editorial page editor of The Star-Ledger; his sister, Grace; his maternal grandparents, James T. Layton and Marie T. Carr, of Yardley, PA; nineteen aunts and uncles; and twenty-seven first cousins.
He is also survived by his beloved girlfriend, Genevieve Fletcher, of Fairfax, VA, whom he met the first day of college.
Visiting hours will be Monday from 2-4 and 7-9 PM at the Hugh M. Moriarty Funeral Home, 76 Park St., Montclair. A funeral service will take place Tuesday at 10 AM at St. Cassian Roman Catholic Church, 187 Bellevue Ave., Montclair.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS, 66675.