Denis James Moriarty Sr.

Denis was born May 6, 1929 in Sneem, County Kerry, Ireland. He passed away September 26, 2024. He graduated from Mount Melleray College in Ireland, where he played Gaelic football and the Irish sport of hurling. Denis was a great football player on the teams of Sneem and Kenmare, Ireland. He was a member of the Sneem Rowing and Cycling clubs. Denis won many County Kerry Cycling Championships and in 1949 placed third in a 2 mile Irish National Championship. Denis came to the United States in March of 1950 and settled in Indianapolis.

In May of 1950 Denis went to work for General Motors in Indianapolis until he was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He was assigned to the Eighth Evacuation Hospital at Fort Bragg, N.C. and went to Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, to train as a surgical technician. From there he was assigned to Landstuhl 403 Evacuation Hospital at Landstuhl, Germany. He served from 1951 to 1953.

Denis married Ita O’Brien of Limerick, Ireland in 1956. They have five sons and nine grandchildren.

He graduated from Purdue University and in 1962 went to work for the Indiana Department of Transportation’s Mapping and Design Division.

He has been a member of Little Flower (St. Therese) Catholic Church Parish since 1962. As a charter member of the Kevin Barry Division of the Ancient Order of the Hibernians, he has held many division offices including Division President, State President, and National Organizer. He won the 1965 National Gold Medal history contest for an essay on Father Duffy of the Fighting 69th, Soldier Priest.

He retired after 33 years of service to the State of Indiana. Upon retirement in 1995, he was made a Sagamore of the Wabash (Indiana state’s highest civilian honor) by then Governor, Evan Bayh.

Denis is survived by his son Gerard (Heather), son Denis, Jr. (Brian Duffy), son David (Rita), son Aidan, and son Brendan (Carolyn). He is also survived by nine grandchildren: Liam, Jennifer, Kieran, Olivia, Colman, Michael, Grace, Abagael, and Scarlett, former daughter-in-law Karen Moriarty, brothers Louis (Eileen) Moriarty, Frank (Pat) Moriarty, and sisters Una O’Sullivan, and Maudie Widdowson, and tens of nieces and nephews across America, Ireland and Australia.

Denis is preceded in Death by his wife, Ita and son Colman, parents Patrick and Bridie Moriarty, stepmother Maureen Moriarty, brother Patrick (Margaret Potvin) Moriarty, brothers-in-law Johnny O’Sullivan and Derek Widdowson.

Visitation will be on Thursday, October 3rd from 4 pm to 8pm EDT at Feeney-Hornak Shadeland Mortuary, 1307 Shadeland Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46219. Rosary at 8pm EDT.

A funeral Mass will be held on Friday, October 4th at 10 am EDT at the Little Flower Catholic Church, 4720 East 13th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46201. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery, 435 West Troy Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46225.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made in his memory to St. Therese Little Flower Catholic Church of Indianapolis, Indiana.