Mary Lou Moriarty

Mary Louise Moriarty, 86, of Portland, OR, passed away on Sunday, April 13, 2025, at her daughter Bridgett’s home in Missoula after a brief illness.

While this obituary cannot capture the stories or delicate details of Mary Lou’s remarkable life, it aims to reflect her spirit and the lasting impact she had on those who knew her. Mary Lou had a difficult life but refused to be defined by it. Rather than being downtrodden and bitter, she always chose to look at things from a positive side. She was incredibly supportive and proud of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and raised them all with the understanding that while they were no better than anyone else, no one was better than them.

Mary Lou was born on March 31, 1939, in Great Falls, MT to George and Mary Ford of Sand Coulee, MT. Her father passed away when she was incredibly young leaving her mother to raise her and her sister with the help of her grandparents. Mary Lou was educated in Centerville where she built strong connections with her classmates and was actively involved in numerous activities including drama, cheerleading and student government. Her leadership and enthusiasm were evident as she served in various clubs and roles, making a lasting impression on her classmates.

On November 28, 1959, she married Rich Moriarty in Great Falls. The couple had five children there before moving to Havre in the early 1970s. In 1973, they relocated to Butte where their sixth child was born. True to the life of a railroad family, they moved to Missoula in 1979, which was her home while she raised her children and was a long-term employee of Denny’s Copy Stop. In 1997, Mary Lou shocked her friends and family by moving to Portland, OR where she lived until her last days. Later in life, Mary Lou met Marc Franklin and the two spent the better part of ten years playing bridge and traveling the world. This was quite the contrast for a girl that grew up in Sand Coulee, MT and did not have a passport until her 70th birthday.

Mary Lou loved the Montana Grizzlies, the Portland Trailblazers and was a proud Gold Life Master with the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) having accrued 2,750 Masterpoints in her lifetime. She enjoyed the garden she maintained on her patio as well as Portland’s theatres, museums and even its mass transit system. Mostly, though, she loved talking to friends about her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and talking to her family about her friends. She left an indelible mark on everyone she met with her fun glasses, stylish shoes, “mixy-matchy” fashions and undeterred positivity.

Mary Lou is preceded in death by her life, bridge, and travel partner Marc Franklin of Portland, OR; her ex-husband Rich Moriarty of Missoula; her daughter Kellee Moriarty of Great Falls; her parents George Ford and Mary Pepos of Sand Coulee and her sister Shirley Giannini of Sand Coulee, MT. Despite the many losses she endured, Mary Lou remained resilient and chose to persevere with grace and optimism.

Survivors include her daughter Tracee Matsuura and her husband Wes of Redwood City, CA; son Todd Moriarty of Kirkland, WA; daughter Meighan Hanich and her husband Greg; daughter Bridgett Moriarty and her husband Chuck Arnold of Missoula; son Shannon Moriarty and his wife Brooke of Boca Raton, FL; brother Ron Pepos of Tucson, AZ as well as eight grandchildren: Connor Moriarty (and partner Jasmine Morse), Kevin Moriarty, Sam Hanich, Abigail Hanich, Madeline Hanich, Quinn Morrow, Ella Moriarty and June Moriarty; and two great-grandchildren Ione Moriarty and Lula Moriarty. When asked how she had so many kids, one of her standard responses was that “it was just another potato in the pot!”

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Mary Lou’s name to Early Alert Canines at www.earlyalertcanines.org or the William Temple House in Portland, OR at www.williamtemple.org. Services will be announced later, until then, please find an occasion to wear purple.