Patrick J. Moriarty

• 
• 
• 

Moriarty, Patrick J. age 87, of Lakeville and formerly of New Ulm, died July 19, 2012 at the Golden Living Center in Hopkins, MN. He was born on June 30, 1925 in Holyoke, MA, to Patrick J. and Mary (Hogan) Moriarty. He dropped out of high school in 1943 and enlisted in the Army where he served in the 47th Regiment in the 9th Infantry Division as a French and German interpreter. He fought in five campaigns: Normandy, Northern France, Southern France, Ardennes, and Rhineland. He was awarded a Bronze Star and, in 2002, by the French government, a Jubilee of Liberty Medal. After his discharge, he returned to Massachusetts and graduated from high school in 1946. He received a BA from American International College, Springfield, MA, in 1950 and an MA in history and geography from the University of Minnesota in 1951. From 1951 to 1955, he was a civilian intelligence specialist for the Navy in Washington, DC. From 1955 to 1956, he worked for the Federal Civil Defense Administration in St. Paul, MN. From 1956 to 1959, he was again employed in DC by Naval Intelligence, working at night and attending law school at George Washington University Law School during the day. He received his JD in 1959 and returned to Minnesota to practice law in Grand Rapids. He was Itasca County Attorney from 1963 to 1969; the Director of the Leech Lake Reservation Legal Services Project in Cass Lake from 1970 to 1973; and he practiced law in New Ulm from 1973 to 2002, serving as a district court judge in Brown County from 1977 to 1980 and as an assistant public defender in the Fifth Judicial District from 1980 to 2002. In 1996, he was recognized for his service with the Durfee Award, bestowed for distinguished career service by the state Board of Public Defense. He loved the law, the study of history, Italian opera, learning foreign languages (he frequently dreamed in French) and world travel. He regretted that there was so much to learn and not enough time. He is survived by Linda, his wife of 40 years, daughter Mary F. Moriarty, a second-generation public defender, her partner Beth Hawkins, Beth's children Royce and Corey Hill, sister Mona Calkins of Holyoke, MA, and his cat Maurice. From a previous marriage that ended in divorce, he is survived by a daughter, Michaela Solomon and grandchildren Christopher and Amanda of Burnsville. Private family services will be held, followed at a later date by a celebration of his life in New Ulm. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to the Southern Public Defender Training Center, 34 Peachtree Street, NW, Suite 2460, Atlanta, GA 30303; thespdtc.org/donate/. Pat's daughter Mary donates considerable time to the center, preparing young lawyers to defend indigent clients in the Deep South's exceptionally challenging circumstances

Published on July 29, 2012