Sylvester “Bootie” Moran Jr., 69 of Bellingham, WA, went to be with his Lord on the morning of November 20 th , 2018 in Roosevelt County, MT.
Bootie was born on a snowy December 25 th , 1948 to Sylvester and Susan (Azure) Moran in Roosevelt County, MT. Bootie spent his childhood growing up in Wolf Point, MT working at the grain elevator in Wolf Point with his father “Red”; unloading rail cars with his father and brothers, Randy and Stanley. Bootie was a hard worker and he carried that with him through his railroad career. On April 1 st , 1969 he was hired by the Great Northern railroad; he devoted 37 years to the railroad. After his “so called” retirement, Bootie worked on various private railroad projects that included expanding the Portland and Seattle public transit systems. He also had his own railroad consulting business called “Moran Consulting” that involved repairing local business rail lines and spurs with his own crew. Bootie expected a lot out of those who worked alongside him, but he always led the way with his work ethic.
In his younger years, Bootie enjoyed participating in and working the Wild Horse Race at the Wolf Point Marvin Brookman Stadium. Bootie met his wife Cathy in Billings, MT, in 1976. Bootie knew as soon as he saw her, they would be married for life. Bootie and Cathy had three children: Tori, Janelle, and Marcus. In 1988 Bootie and his family moved to Bellingham, WA for his promotion as Roadmaster with the BNSF. In Bellingham, Bootie’s railroad career expanded, and his work ethic inspired many. Everywhere Bootie went he made new friends and impacted many lives in a positive way. Bootie’s hobbies included walking, watching his grandchildren, traveling, rooting for the Raiders and the LA Lakers, and donating plasma. He had family and friends in Bellingham, WA, Yuma, AZ, Butte, MT, Great Falls, MT, Glasgow, MT and of course, Wolf Point, MT and the many miles in between. If there was something fun happening, Bootie was there.
Bootie is survived by wife Catherine (Mulholland) Moran, children Tori (Dana) Matejovsky of Wolf Point, MT, Janelle (Carson) Witman of Blaine, WA, Marcus (Jocelyn) Moran of Bellingham, WA, his brothers Randy Moran and Stanley (Janice) Moran of Wolf Point MT, his four grandchildren Annaleigh, Cash, and Addison Matejovsky of Wolf Point, MT and Clint Witman of Blaine, WA, and his Mother in Law Barbara Mulholland of Butte, MT, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, uncles, aunts, and cousins.
He is preceded in death by his father Sylvester Moran Sr. and his mother Susan Moran.
(Bootie had many, many friends and family, and he would love us to list them all, but he was also cheap and wouldn’t want us to spend the money to publish that long list!)
Services will be held Friday morning at 10 am at Immaculate Conception Parish in Wolf Point, MT, with a luncheon to follow in the Parish Hall. Bellingham friends are invited to join the family for a celebration of Bootie’s life on Thursday, December 6 th , from 4 pm – 8 pm, at the Squalicum Boathouse in Bellingham, WA. Please bring your favorite memories and stories to share.