John & Betty Moran

OBITUARY

BETHLEHEM — John Patrick Moran, 89, and his wife of 65 years, Elizabeth Jane “Betty” Prendergast Moran, 88, both of Bethlehem, passed within three weeks of each other — Betty on April 5 and John on March 23, 2026. They were inseparable in life and devoted partners in every place they called home.

JOHN PATRICK MORAN

Born January 31, 1937, in Brooklyn, N.Y., to Edward Joseph “Ed” Moran Sr. and Catherine Agnes “Catsy” Murphy Moran, John attended Brooklyn Technical High School and earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Villanova University in 1960. He was commissioned as a Line Ensign in the U.S. Navy that same year, serving through 1964 and achieving the rank of Captain with the Navy’s Facilities Engineering Command. He later earned an M.B.A. from the City University of New York and was a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers and the American Society of Civil Engineers.

After consulting with Tippets-Abbott-McCarthy and Stratton (TAMS), he joined Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. in 1972, rising to Director of Facilities and Production Engineering. He went on to serve as Managing Director and then Vice President at American Can Co. in Fair Lawn, N.J., and as Senior Vice President of Harnischfeger Corp. in Brookfield, Wis. He concluded his career as CEO of Structures Unlimited in Pennsylvania.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his brothers Edward Joseph “Eddie” Moran Jr., Robert Francis Moran, Paul Thomas “Paolo” Moran, and Richard James Moran.

ELIZABETH “BETTY” JANE PRENDERGAST MORAN

Born April 1, 1938, in Brooklyn, N.Y., Betty was the eldest daughter of Thomas and Edna Prendergast. She grew up in Flatbush, attended Fontbonne Hall Academy in Bay Ridge, and earned her undergraduate degree from Notre Dame College of Staten Island. She began her career teaching in New York City public schools.

On June 11, 1960, Betty married John at the Brooklyn Navy Yard Officer’s Club. When the family was settled in the Williamsburg, VA area in the early 1970s, she returned to school and completed a graduate program in learning diagnostics at the College of William and Mary. As a learning diagnostician she served public school systems in Ridgewood, N.J. (where she rose to the rank of Coordinator of Special Programs for this large school system), Milwaukee, Wis., and White Township, N.J., helping students with learning differences find their footing.

Art and art museums were among Betty’s deepest passions. In Milwaukee she volunteered at the Milwaukee Art Museum. After retiring, she joined the Society of the Arts, supporting the Allentown Art Museum through fundraising and education — a commitment she kept for many years.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her sister Anne Prendergast; and her husband, John.

TOGETHER

Over six decades of marriage, John and Betty moved wherever his career led — California, Florida, New Jersey, Texas, Connecticut, Virginia, New Jersey (again), Wisconsin, and finally the Lehigh Valley — embracing each community with energy and generosity. They were devoted parents, enthusiastic tennis players and golfers, and eager travelers. Over the years since 1978, they also made their home at Lake Beebee in Hubbardton, VT.

SURVIVORS

Surviving are their daughter, Deidre Joan Moran; their son, Andrew Edward Moran; and Betty’s sister, Joan Burns (née Prendergast).

A memorial service will be held on 28 June, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. at Connell Falk Funeral Home, 1418 Main Street, Hellertown, PA. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Betty’s memory may be made to the Allentown Art Museum, Society of the Arts, 31 N. Fifth St., Allentown, PA 18101.