The Moran/Burke story

I was born in Tuam, County Galway in 1940. I was the second child of my parents, Michael Moran and Anne Burke. My sister was born in 1936. We lost our mother to Tuberculosis in 1942 and Father also to TB in 1947. Prior to his death, we were sent to relatives and then to orphanages. I was placed in St. Joseph's Industrial Home for boys. I have no memory of my sojourn there.

After WW2 ended, my Aunt Helen Ryan (nee Burke), my mother's sister, inquired about us and discovered that we were not with relatives. She and her husband arranged for us to go to live with his family in Tipperary Town. There, we were treated warmly and lovingly until we flew to New York in June of 1948 to be raised by my Aunt and Uncle. They treated us as their own children. I was fortunate to get a great Jesuit education at Regis High School and then Fordham University.

After college, I attended the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine and earned my MD in 1966. Then I went to Los Angeles for an internship. Then spent two years in the U.S. Navy from 1967-1969, finishing as a Lieutenant Commander. Then spent the next four years as an Obstetric/Gynecology resident at LA County/USC Medical Center. Then I spent the next 50 years practicing OB/GYN in Santa Monica, California. I was fortunate to have a family of four children and now eight grandchildren.
Thus despite a tragic early loss of our parents I was blessed with a great education and career. My sister also has done well raising 9 children and now having 12 grandchildren.