Oct. 2, 1937 – Feb. 26, 2018

 

NATCHEZ — It is with great sadness that the family announces the death of Charles Curtis Moroney, 80, of Natchez, who died Monday, Feb. 26, 2018.    

A memorial service will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Laird Funeral Home Chapel.

Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until service time Saturday at the funeral home.

Arrangements are under the direction of Laird Funeral Home.

Mr. Moroney, known by some as “Charlie” and some of his golf buddies as “Boomer,” was born Oct, 2, 1937, in Natchez, the son of Charles Louis Moroney and Jennie Elizabeth Reed Moroney.

He was educated in the Natchez public schools and was a 1955 graduate of Natchez High School. He then proceeded to study architecture at the Alabama Polytechnic Institute (as it was then named) and was the top architectural student of the first official graduating class after the name was formally changed to Auburn University in 1960.

A member of Naval ROTC while at Auburn, Mr. Moroney then went on to serve three years of active duty with the U.S. Navy aboard the aircraft carrier USS Lake Champlain and then several years in the Naval Reserve. After his time in the Navy, he moved with his wife and family to New Orleans and began his architectural career with the firm Curtis and Davis, eventually drawing the very first rendering of the Louisiana Superdome in 1967. Later that year he moved back to his hometown of Natchez to begin his own architectural practice. Over the next 45 years, he designed a number of buildings of all types in and around Natchez, most of which stand today. The bandstand on Broadway, the Adams County Law Center (Sheriff’s office/County Jail), the International Paper Woodlands building (now United Mississippi Bank Operations), Copiah-Lincoln Natchez, Alcorn State School of Nursing, most of the city fire stations, and a number of private homes around Natchez are all examples of his work. Upon his retirement, Mr. Moroney donated all of the plans for his projects to the Historic Natchez Foundation for preservation.

Charles Moroney’s recreational passion, however, was golf. An avid and accomplished golfer since the age of 14, he played collegiate golf while at Auburn, and over the years, won the city championship as well as the Belwood Club championship. He continued to play the game well throughout his later years, often shooting his age or well below; in fact, his last recorded round was a 78. No one loved the game of golf more, and few if any, knew more about it and its history. He was also an accomplished fisherman and enjoyed catching white perch which he always shared with his friends.

Charles was preceded in death by his parents; his younger brother, Richard; and one sister-in-law, Patricia.

Survivors include his longtime companion, Candi Marie Davis; one brother, Jim Moroney and wife, Judy, of Brooklyn, N.Y.; two sons, Ross Brady Moroney of Irving, Texas, and Curtis Lee Moroney of Natchez; one daughter, Kari Suzanne McKee and husband, Sean, of Tulsa, Okla.; and seven grandchildren, Chas and Andrew Moroney of Natchez, Kelsey, Connor, Katherine and Caroline McKee of Tulsa, and Taylor Moroney of Irving.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the Natchez-Adams County Humane Society or the Historic Natchez Foundation.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at laird.com.