John Jaye Moran

John Jaye Moran, age 84, passed away on January 17, 2024, at the George E. Wahlen Ogden Veteran’s Home due to dementia. He was born on July 13, 1939, to Jack and Emma Moran in Nyssa, Oregon and grew up in Parma, Idaho with his brother Tom and sister Sue on the family farm. John was very mischievous and would pull pranks on everyone around him.

John joined the Air Force at age 17 and served for four years at Hill Air Force Base.  After an honorable discharge from the Air Force, and a year working at Young Sign Company, John began working as a civilian, at Hill Air Force Base, as a mechanic until his early retirement at 53, as well as serving in the Navy Reserves for 20 plus years.

John married Theresa “Terri” Smith on August 25, 1960, and they had two children, Brenda and David “Dave”. They lived in Kaysville, Utah, for 30 plus years where he was known as a great neighbor, serving all, especially the widows, by helping with their yards-clearing snow and raking leaves-or whatever else was needed. John and Terri later divorced.

John met Karen Webster in approximately 1992, and they later married, spending the next 30 years together, until Karen’s passing in 2023. John missed Karen greatly. 

John had always planned on retiring “somewhere warm”. He and Karen went to Yuma, Arizona, for the winter in the mid-90s and they loved it so much they decided to move there permanently. While in Yuma, John worked as a locksmith for many years. John and Karen always enjoyed it when their family came to Yuma to visit, and they were great hosts. Karen’s brother Mike and his wife Loretta would spend winters in Yuma, as well, and they had a loving, close friendship with John and Karen.

John was a mechanical genius, repairing and refurbishing pin ball machines, juke boxes, slot machines, clocks, and anything broken that needed his “knack”. He built a TV from a kit which his family used for many years. Even at the end, while at George Wahlen, they would give him things to repair. Although he couldn’t remember much by this point, he still had the “knack”.

John loved country music and yard sales. Every Saturday, he would be out the door early to hit all the garage sales, sometimes taking his granddaughters with him, and they would be rewarded with a yard sale trinket and a hot dog at Der Weinerscnitzel. He had his own “bar” in the basement of his home where he welcomed everyone with his sparkling blue eyes, a huge grin, loud booming laugh, blaring country music and a Mason jar of beer.

John’s son, Dave, has the mechanical genius” knack”, as well, and they would repair/rebuild motorcycles, cars (loved MGs), and anything else which needed taken apart and rebuilt. Dave has such great memories of this time with his dad.

John loved fishing and family vacations were spent every summer at a remote lake fishing for a week, usually Whitney Reservoir. He grew up fishing on the Snake River which he loved. While at George Wahlen, this ended up being his main conversation topic which was fishing with his dad on the Snake as a child.

John leaves behind his two children, Brenda (Butch) Madaj and David “Dave” (Robin) Moran; two stepchildren, Lori (Steve) Snee and Chad Porter, (who live in Utah); beloved family, Mike and Loretta Conway; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; his brother, Tom (Darlene) Moran; and sister, Sue (Darrell) Sterling, (who live in Idaho). Preceded in death by his wife, Karen Webster Moran; one grandchild; parents, Jack and Emma.

Per John’s wishes, no formal services will be held at this time.

Cremation entrusted to Lindquist’s Ogden Mortuary. The family would like to thank Michael Rios and Sam Stout at Lindquist’s who were compassionate and knowledgeable as they assisted us during this time.

The family will honor John’s life later at a time to be decided.

The family would like to thank the wonderful staff at George E. Wahlen Veteran Home for caring for John for the last year of his life. We always knew he was loved and well cared for by compassionate “family”. Although only for a few days, Bristol Hospice provided such compassionate care, as well.