Sad news for all us old timers

[MarkDanielsSr]

A good man, good friend, and model boating pioneer, innovator, and record holder passed away this past Christmas Eve. Roger Moran has left this world. For the last 10 or 12 years, we saw each other at gun shows and talked a lot on the phone or email. I had not been in touch and his nephew gave me the news. Roger was instrumental in teaching me R/C boating the ropes back in the mid 1970's. He taught me enough to understand and use my first lathe. then bigger and better machines and mills. If you knew Roger, you know he was a good person and fun to be around. RIP my friend, I will see you again but hopefully not for some time.

 

[Danny King]

Sorry for your loss Mark.

 

[dr gary turner]

Roger, POSSUM MORAN, was an incredible individual. VARY LARGE IN STAUTE AND HEART. Roger was at least 6ft 10 and was as kind of an individual that I have ever met.

Many years ago at the Indy Unlimited he beat me by 50 points for first place. In those days we ran one boat and at 125 entries. Roger was first place and got the mill lathe combo I was second and chose the Crapshooter twin from a massive array of prizes to choose from.

More stories about Roger:
We were at a Southern Gentleman race in Hammond La. Roger and a group of us went to an all you could eat seafood restaurant. When we walked I told the hostess, the owner that Roger was my BIG BROTHER and we had come to EAT SOME FISH. The owner about passed out.

Roger was an 18 wheeler owner driver. He going through Bham. He called me and said he had a serious problem.
Well as often happens in truck drivers they can have issues from sitting for long periods of time. Yep an abscess on BUTT, bad pain. I got Roger to our ER. When he walked in the nurses about passed out when Roger due to Rogers size. Abscess drained and Roger got back on the road.

At another race, Gene Taylor, past president of IMPBA, had polio as a child and literally walked on his arms and hands, BTW he had no handicap sign in his vehicle. Gene and Roger were great friends and a MASSIVE difference in size. We at the hotel pool Roger pick Gene up and put him on his shoulders and got on the diving board and took a might jump and the 2 of them went into the pool. With Gene on his shoulders.

At one of the races one of them CA glued their hotel door closed. I don’t remember who glued who.

Those were the days of incredible boat racing and fun. What memories.

I will miss Roger POSSUM Moran

 

[BobLondress]

Yes Roger was hard to ignore. I remember him from the SGRA races also. RIP fellow boater.

 

[Richard Hartley]

Roger was the reason I stayed in the hobby. He helped me repair my severely damaged crapshooter(at least to my mind) at a race and got me back on the water. I would have packed up and gone home otherwise.
I always wanted one of the SGRA trophies but best I could manage back then was 4th. He told me he would pull out of a heat so I could get one. Not how I would want to win. We raced he won.
I always appreciated him and his kindness.
Rest in peace my Friend.

 

[Terry Keeley]

I remember Possum Moran at the (83?) Nats in Oxford MI, his twin ran great and he was always helping others.

Godspeed Roger.

 

[bzubee]

I remember Roger at the 94 Nats in Dallas Ft Worth and the stories Gene Taylor used to tell. Hard to loose another great baoter.

 

[Marty Davis]

Possom showed up with Lewis Durand to the first Indy Unlimited with a pair of 40 Hughey Boats. They ran REALLY fast with amazing RPM's. They beat everyone and finished 1st and 2nd. Everyone was amazed at how fast they ran.

There are MANY funny stories about Roger. As Doc says, he was one of the most gentle giants you could ever meet. We will all miss him.....

 

[BobSmith1]

Wow, a lot of history, sounded like a great guy, sorry for his loss to all who knew him. Too many losses ot seems latley. RIP

 

[Mark Bullard]

Rest in peace my friend. To add to the story that Doc told about Gene Taylor. It was at the 1984 Internats in Bartow my first one. Also where I met my X wife. May should have not gone to that race. We finished the event and we were all in the pool. I think the pool water level came over the walk way around the pool because of all of us in the pool. Roger got Gene on his shoulders and on the diving board. Well Roger jump into the pool with Gene on his shoulders. Gene thought he was going to drown as Roger kept Gene pinned to the bottom because of his size. I stayed in the room with Roger as Bob Murphy had got the room but was not there and our room and theirs was connected and there were two double beds. There was another gluing story that happen there. There was a guy that was dating a woman that worked in the hotel and they lived there. He kept on giving us a hard time. So the night before we were going to leave Roger super glued all of his tires down to the parking place. When we were packing the van getting ready to leave the man got into his car but the car would not move. He kept changing gears from forward to reverse. Finely the car broke loose and moved forward crashing into his room. We did not take to long to leave that place.

 

[Ronnie King]

Now we know who NOT to mess with !!

LOL

Great Stories from everybody.


Ronnie King
NAMBA #1223

 

[Tom Foley]

Rest in.peace ...

 

[carl cisneros]

A good man, good friend, and model boating pioneer, innovator, and record holder passed away this past Christmas Eve. Roger Moran has left this world. For the last 10 or 12 years, we saw each other at gun shows and talked a lot on the phone or email. I had not been in touch and his nephew gave me the news. Roger was instrumental in teaching me R/C boating the ropes back in the mid 1970's. He taught me enough to understand and use my first lathe. then bigger and better machines and mills. If you knew Roger, you know he was a good person and fun to be around. RIP my friend, I will see you again but hopefully not for some time.

Gosh, that is sad news.
I remember Possum when I was stationed at Keesler AFB in Biloxi, MS. ( I was a Senior Airman back then) I had started boating a couple years before I met him (around 1981), Just gotten married and got my first inboard rigger from Brent Hatfield. (a 90 Water Spider) Got it going with an OS 90RSRM ABC (lightly warmed over by myself back then) and went to the SGRA Hydro races in 82. Roger saw it wasn't turning very well, looked it over, and I believe he adjusted/bent the turn fin a bit. He threw it out for me and man, it turned on a dime. He called for me a couple of races and I was chasing the Picco powered boats and had a great time. He laughed so hard because my boat was giving the Picco and OPS boats hell. Wound up taking 5th place and receiving the best boating tropy I have ever had (and still have) the much prized man holding up the hydro. I miss thos e days, with Roger, Louis, Kurt, Art, and the whole crew. Sleep well my friend.
Carl Cisneros