Golf Enthusiast Kathleen Moran Remembered as Good Host, Well-Traveled
Kathleen Moran was a Brooklyn native. The second-born from a big Irish family, she often hosted the whole family for gatherings at her Bay Ridge apartment. In her backyard she tended a garden patch of tomatoes, zucchini and more, which she jestingly referred to as “her crops.” Kathleen made memories with her nieces and nephews at birthday parties and on trips to Disney World, and maintained a network of close friends who accompanied her on her travels, whether on weekend road trips to the beach or a week’s sojourn to Italy.
After 9/11, Kathleen’s family found a jewelry box in her apartment containing a medley of small items precious to her. Her 1977 class ring represented her years at Midwood High School, where she sang and acted in school musicals. A gold broach with emerald stones spoke to her Irish heritage, the home country of her parents. There were also three Christmas ornaments, commemorating her travels around the world. These were only part of Kathleen’s much larger collection of distinctive ornaments, enough to fill multiple trees during the holiday season, according to her sister Bernadette.
The box also held a green velvet bag of tees and two golf balls. Kathleen had learned to play golf during a business trip in Florida. During that first game, she didn’t have the right footwear and slid down a grassy hill. She took to the game, and after her proficiency increased, bought her own set of left-handed clubs to use for golf outings with colleagues and clients in the insurance industry. Kathleen had been slated to take another business trip to Florida during the week of September 11, but the meeting was shifted to the World Trade Center.
Kathleen’s family donated her jewelry box to the 9/11 Memorial Museum. The golf balls and tees found in Kathleen’s jewelry box are currently on display in the Museum’s In Memoriam gallery.
By Kirsten Madsen, Assistant Manager of Memorial Exhibition, 9/11 Memorial Museum
Within days of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, thousands of people arrived at the crash sites to aid in the response. Accompanying them were hundreds of dogs trained in search and rescue or therapy work. At a time of crisis, these four-legged responders showed courage and dedication alongside their human handlers.
The selfless actions of pilots and flight crews aboard Flights 11, 77, 175, and 93 on the morning of September 11 remain an important part of the story we tell at the 9/11 Memorial Museum. Each year, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum commemorates National Aviation Week by offering free admission to flight crew members, both active and retired, who come to pay tribute.