Judge William Joseph "Joe" Moran leaves behind a lifetime of service

Judge Moran swears in the new councilman from this past election in this file photo by Marianne Addison.

ARLEE - "Not only has our Tribal community lost a valuable resource in Joe, the national Indian community suffers a loss as well," says Chief Judge of Tribal Court Winona Tanner. "Joe, in his dedication to Indian law and preserving Tribal Court systems, worked closely and was well known nationally. He shared his knowledge and worked with other Tribes in that goal and will be greatly missed."

Judge William Joseph "Joe" Moran, passed away due to natural causes on March 12 in his home and was surrounded by family including his wife of 44 years Marylin. Moran was a respected member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.

Known to most as "Joe" Moran, the most recent Chief Justice of the Appellate Court was well known for his strong work ethic and adaptability to law and order. "He was one of the more fun judges to work for," says former coworker Gary Acevedo. "It was important for him to keep the staff that worked under him up to date on tribal law. We had daily discussions on the topic."

On March 13 and 14, Tribal and U.S. flags were flown at half-staff in honor of the Vietnam War veteran. Tribal offices closed early on Friday, in respect for his passing.

Born on September 22, 1942, to Ernest and Alice Moran of St. Ignatius, Moran's career path began when he graduated in 1960 from Arlee High School. At the age of 17, he joined the U.S. Navy as a hospital Corpsman. Moran served in the Vietnam War, was chosen as the first of 12 physician assistants, and became a Medical Service Corps Officer. Moran retired from the Navy in 1982 as a lieutenant commander.

Moran was a strong believer in education. He earned an Associate of Arts in Business Administration from Pensacola Junior College and went on to receive a Bachelor of Science Health Care Administration degree from George Washington University. Having an interest in tribal law, Moran later received a Jurist Doctor degree from the University of Montana School of Law.

In 1984, Moran spent a year in Gallup, New Mexico, where he was employed as a Health System Administrator for the Gallup Indian Medical Center. In 1987 Moran moved to Fort Hall, Idaho, where he served as a Service Unit Director at the Fort Hall Comprehensive Health Care Facility.

In 1989 Moran was employed as an Associate Attorney with Hall and Friedly Attorneys at Law in Mountain Home, Idaho. Then He went on to work as the Service Unit Director of For Yuma Public Health Service Indian Hospital in Yuma, Arizona.

In 1992, Moran began working for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. In the span of a year, he had gained vast experience in Tribal Court, which began with a part-time Court Law Clerk position. After two months, he was promoted to Associate Judge. After serving the Associate Judge position for five months, Moran was promoted yet again to Chief Judge for Tribal Court, which he served until 1996.

In 1996, Moran was elected to Tribal Council, where he served until 1999 for the Arlee District. He maintained a self-owned Flathead Law practice until his recent retirement last year and served as Chief Judge in Browning. Most recently, Moran was appointed as Chief Justice of Appellate Court.

A proud moment while serving in his most recent position was being a part of the swearing-in ceremony for his older brother Ernest "Bud" Moran, who joined Tribal Council in November 2007. "I hope I could lead like my brother Joe," Bud was quoted in an article on his position with Tribal Council.