Stanley Moran Jr., 47, of Wolf Point, Mont., passed away on Sept. 28, 2024.
Stanley was born on Dec. 1, 1975, in Wolf Point, Mont., to Stanley Moran Sr. and Janice Moran. He was an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa.
Stan graduated from Wolf Point High School in 1994. He was a standout athlete in cross-country, wrestling and track for the Wolves and later was able to return as coach for those sports. Stan began his athletic career in 1981 when he joined the Wolf Point AAU Wrestling Club. He was an accomplished youth wrestler which allowed him to travel all over the world, including competitions in Russia and England. In high school, Stan achieved all-state honors in all three sports he participated in. Stan held the school records for WPHS in track and field for the 800 and 1600 meter for over two decades.
He attended the University of Jamestown in North Dakota on cross-country and track scholarships, where he competed for the Jamestown Jimmies from 1994-1998. Stan was a member of the 1996 cross-country team that was inducted to the University of Jamestown Athletic Hall of Fame in 2018. He completed his college education at Minot State University in 2000, graduating with a bachelor of science degree in addiction studies.
Following college, Stan worked at Spotted Bull Recovery Resource Center in Poplar for two years as an addiction counselor in the Aftercare Program. After his military service, he returned to his community and worked for the Montana Department of Health and Human Services as a social worker, later serving as a guardian ad litem for the Fort Peck Tribal Court system.
Stan was a proud U.S. Army veteran who served from Jan. 6, 2003, to May 10, 2008. He was stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, in the 3rd Platoon and served as a Patriot Missile operator. Sgt. Stanley Moran Jr. was selected for security duty during President Bush’s visit to Kuwait while serving under the U.S. Army 11th Brigade, 3-43 Patriot Missile Battalion ADA.
The highlight of Stan’s life was when his daughter, Siri Marie, was born in 2011. He loved her dearly.
Stan is survived by his parents, Stanley Sr. and Janice Moran; his daughter, Siri Moran; his sister, Melissa (Scott) Moran Ragels of Bemidji, Minn.; his brother, Bradley (Brianne) Moran of Wolf Point; niece, Miranda Moran of Glendale, Ariz.; and nephews, Lane Ragels of Fargo, N.D., Kolt Ragels of Bemidji, Minn., Owen and Kellen Moran of Wolf Point. He is also survived by his uncles, Randy Moran of Wolf Point, Richard (Maureen) Dionne of Poplar, and Jeffrey (Lauren) Dionne of Laurel; his aunts, Connie (Steve) Stump of Williston, N.D., Susan Dionne of Minot, N.D., Sandra (Kenny) Lewis of Arlee, Mont., and Brenda Dionne of Wolf Point; as well numerous cousins and friends that cared for him deeply.
Stan was preceded in death by his grandparents, Sylvester and Susan Moran and Gordon and Violet Desjarlais; and his uncle, Sylvester Moran Jr.
The family will receive friends from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10, at Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel in Wolf Point. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 11, at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Wolf Point. Interment will be at Greenwood Cemetery in Wolf Point.
