John Thomas Moren

John T. Moren, 92, passed away on Tuesday evening, November 10, 2015. He was born on October 31, 1923, to John and Hazel Moren in Howe, Oklahoma. From 1944 to 1946 John served in the U.S. Army, including time in Japan with the occupation forces. Afterward he finished his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering degree from Oklahoma State University in 1947. He then continued his education at the Chrysler Institute, earning his Master of Automotive Engineering degree in 1949. John stayed with Chrysler, rising through the ranks of engineering, sales, and purchasing divisions within the company throughout the 50s, 60s, and 70s. John’s initial work was in the Heating and Air Conditioning Lab, where he was promoted to managing engineer. By 1957 he was the chief engineer for the Electrical Equipment division, and by 1962 he was chief engineer and sales manager of the New Process Gear Division, later managing that plant starting in 1965. In 1966, he took over Purchasing Planning for Chrysler Corporation, and by 1970 he was promoted to Executive Vice President of Chrysler Canada. Three years later he was named Corporate Vice President of South America, Far East, and Africa for Chrysler Corporation. His final position at the company was Vice President of Purchasing, from 1976 to his retirement in 1979, where he oversaw the procurement of billions of dollars of materials necessary for manufacturing the Chrysler fleet. John’s dedication to education was evident at the very beginning of his career at Chrysler as he taught engineering courses in the evenings at the Lawrence Institute of Engineering from 1950 to 1952. This dedication was again evident upon his retirement from the corporate world, this time drawing on his decades of managing experience to teach at the business school at Michigan State University for nearly 12 years, starting in 1980. While the above focuses on John T. Moren, the professional man, those close to him were fortunate enough to see the man devoted to his family, his friends, and his faith. He married Rema (Miller) Moren on July 15, 1948, with whom he shared a lifelong love for nearly 67 of marriage before her passing in May of this year. Together, they moved to the Detroit area for his career and education, where they had their daughter and their only child, Sandy. The Moren family later made stops in Indianapolis, Indiana, and Manlius, New York, before settling in Birmingham, Michigan, finally moving to Fort Collins, Colorado, in 1993, to be near family after John’s retirement from teaching. John is preceded in death by his parents, his two brothers, Glen and Curtis Moren, and his wife, Rema. He is survived by his daughter, Sandy Moren Lindberg (Jeff), of Fort Collins, Colorado, and his grandson, Casey Moren Lindberg, of Tucson, Arizona. He is also survived by his nieces, Susan Moren and Ashlyn Dellenger (Harold), and his great-nephew, Jack Dellenger, all of Florida. A memorial service with military honors by the Ft. Collins All Veterans Honor Guard will be held at American Baptist Church, 600 S. Shields St., on Friday, November 20, 2015, at 11:00 am, with reception following. In lieu of flowers, any memorial donations may be made to the American Baptist Church, in John’s name.

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John Thomas Moren

October 31, 1923 - November 10, 2015