November 11, 1928 – January 31, 2022
Donald M. Moran ’60 was born Nov. 11, 1928, and died Jan. 31, 2022, at age 93 in Auburn, California. He was a most beloved and cherished husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend, with diverse interests and passions and an insatiable curiosity that took his life in many directions: medicine, flying, travel, hiking, RVing, birding, and botany, among others.
He was born and raised in Loma Linda, California, and attended Pacific Union College, graduating with a degree in medical technology. Upon graduation, the U.S. Army called and he served as a medical technologist in El Paso, Texas. Medical school in Loma Linda was his next chapter, graduating in 1960 and later achieving double boards in surgery and emergency medicine. He began his practice in general surgery in Paradise and Chico, California, before becoming a partner with California Emergency Physicians (CEP) in 1975. Adventure called and from 1984–1985 he and his wife, LaVerne, spent a year working at King Fahad Hospital in Saudi Arabia before returning to work for CEP in Roseville, California. He retired in 1999 from Roseville Medical Center to become a ship’s doctor for Holland America Line/Windstar Cruises until his final retirement in 2004.
Dr. Moran was a lifelong adventurer, exploring many of the mountain trails of California, always pointing out the various birds, flowers, and plants and reciting their botanical names with ease. His greenhouse was filled with cacti and succulents that he couldn’t resist propagating. Visitors to his greenhouse seldom left without a plant.
He will be deeply missed by his wife of 42 years, LaVerne; sons, Steve (Pat) and Curt (Terry); grandchildren; great-grandchildren; sister, Marianne Carty; and several extended family members.