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Feature News | Monday, September 23, 2019

Obituary: Maurice A. Ferré, John 'Jack' Moroney, Jr.

Both prominent Catholics died Sept. 19, will have funeral Masses Sept. 26

MIAMI | Two high-profile members of the Catholic Church in South Florida died Sept. 19: Maurice Ferré, the city of Miami’s first Hispanic mayor, and John “Jack” Moroney, Jr., co-founder of the company which has provided art, furnishings and vestments to South Florida churches and priests for several decades.

Here are brief obituaries of both men.

 

JOHN ‘JACK’ MORONEY, JR.

John "Jack" Moroney, Jr.: 1950-2019.

Photographer: COURTESY

John "Jack" Moroney, Jr.: 1950-2019.

Moroney, 68, died in his sleep, a passing that was described as “sudden and untimely” by family members. At the time of his death, he and members of his family were working as exhibitors at the annual convocation of archdiocesan priests, held at the Hilton in downtown Miami.

Archbishop Thomas Wenski led the priests in praying three Hail Marys for Moroney after announcing the news.

Moroney was born in New Jersey but came to South Florida with his parents at the age of 2. He graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale and Florida State University. After a brief stint with the Hollywood Police Department, he began working with his father in the church goods industry.

The Moroney family had opened a store in Fort Lauderdale in 1958. In 1982, Moroney and his father incorporated the business in the state of Florida, with John Jr. serving as president and general manager. At the time of his death, he also was serving on the board of directors of the National Church Goods Association.

An obituary published in Legacy.com describes Moroney as “well known in South Florida, winning over customers with his big personality and friendly smile.”

According to their website, Moroneys' Religious Art, Inc. serves churches in the United States, the Bahamas and the Caribbean, with their main warehouse, office and showrooms located in Fort Lauderdale. “Our 6500-square-foot retail store boasts one of the largest church and religious items selection on the east coast,” the website states.

The funeral Mass for Moroney will be celebrated Thursday, Sept. 26, at 10 a.m. at St. Anthony Church, 901 N.E. Second St., Fort Lauderdale. The viewing will be Wednesday, Sept. 25, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at Barbara Falowski Funeral Home, 300 S.W. Sixth Street, Fort Lauderdale.

Moroney is survived by his wife of 21 years, Phyllis; their son, Sean V.; sisters Jeanne Moroney and Jerilyn Ewton; several nieces and nephews and a grand-niece and grand-nephew. His twin sister, Judy Murphy, died in 2013, as did another sister, Janet Moroney.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the American Diabetes Association.

 

MAURICE A. FERRÉ

Maurice Ferré: June 23, 1935-Sept. 19, 2019.

Photographer: Maurice Ferre | Originally posted to Flickr

Maurice Ferré: June 23, 1935-Sept. 19, 2019.

Ferré, 84, died after battling spinal cancer for more than a year. A native of Puerto Rico, he served as Miami’s mayor from 1973 to 1985, a period during which the city grew in population, skyline, and reputation as a business hub and gateway to Latin America. As mayor, Ferré provided much of the impetus for that growth, and his obituary in the Miami Herald labeled him “the father of modern-day Miami.”

Archbishop Wenski said he had Mayor Ferré at his house for lunch a few months ago. “He shared many memories of his interactions with (Archbishop) Coleman Carroll and (Msgr.) Bryan Walsh. Much like them, of course in different ways, he shaped the Miami of today, capital of the Americas.”

The archbishop will celebrate the funeral Mass for Ferré on Thursday, Sept. 26, at 10 a.m. at St. Mary Cathedral, 7525 N.W. Second Ave., Miami.

Ferré was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, to a family who had made their fortune in sugar, ironworks and cement. His father and mother later moved to Miami and expanded the family business here. After completing high school in the U.S., Ferré graduated in 1957 from the University of Miami with a degree in architectural engineering and went to work in the family’s company, Maule Industries.

At around the same time, both he and his uncle, Luis Ferré, went into politics: Luis became governor of Puerto Rico (1969 to 1973) and Maurice was elected to the Florida House of Representatives (1967).

He left the House to run for Miami city commissioner and won the seat in 1968. In 1973, he became the first Puerto Rican to be elected mayor in the U.S., as well as the first Hispanic mayor of Miami. He served until 1985, guiding the city through the race riots and Mariel refugee crisis while encouraging Latin American banks and businesses to relocate their headquarters here. He also was instrumental in ending racial discrimination in hiring for city jobs, notably police and firefighters.

He was elected to the Miami-Dade County Commission in 1993 but gave up his seat to run unsuccessfully for county mayor in 1996. In 2001, he again vied unsuccessfully to become Miami’s mayor.

In a statement issued shortly after his death, Ferré’s family said: “Having played an integral part in policy and politics up until his passing, Mayor Ferré will be remembered for his commitment to the internationalization of Miami, social justice, mobility and transportation, education, and his love of God and humanity.”

Ferré himself once told an interviewer that he was proud of his life in public service. “It's a vocation, it's a calling, but I think there are different ways of serving in the Lord's vineyard and I think that's one of the better ones.”

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Mercedes, five of his six children (a son, daughter-in-law and grandchild died in an airplane accident in Colombia in 1995), 12 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

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