Kathleen Murray Moran has taught writing and literature at the State University of New York for twenty-five years. She is the widow of Brian Murray, and the co-founder of Survivors of the Shield (SOS).  As a cofounder of SOS, a New York City police widows’ organization providing social, economic, and emotional support to surviving spouses of police killed in the line of duty, Kathleen has given speeches in front of audiences of over one thousand people, has helped organize and secure funding for the bomb squad’s 100th anniversary dinner, has appeared on Sixty Minutes, NBC Live at Five, and given numerous interviews.

 

She was also instrumental in passing legislation that led to former Governor Mario Cuomo’s COPS Agenda. She has worked with State Senator Dean Skelos to establish full scholarships for line of duty widows and children to all SUNY schools, and a four-year scholarship to St. John’s University.  She has worked with the office of the governor of New York, Crime Victims Board, and the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, to ensure officers killed in the line of duty are recognized and to secure benefits for their families.

 

Kathleen has met with Mayors Dinkins, Koch, Giuliani and Bloomberg, Commissioner Ray Kelly, and PBA President, Patrick Lynch, to ensure the continuing cooperation between the City of New York and police widows. She met with Mayor Giuliani to ensure the continued incarceration of Zvonko Busic, the Croatian terrorist who spearheaded the hijacking of TWA flight 355 on September 11, 1976.  She worked with Mayor DeBlasio and Councilwoman Christine Quinn’s office to rename the Charles Street corner of Bleecker Street in New York City, Police Officer Brian Murray Way, which was dedicated in an official ceremony on October 1, 2014.

 

In 2014, an excerpt from her memoir went viral on Salon.com (it was listed as the #3 Life story of the year).  Another excerpt was shortlisted for the Huff Post/AARP memoir award and guest judge Rita Wilson called her story, “one of the very best pieces our judges encountered.” A podcast was recorded for NPR’s Snap Judgment (the segment earned Atlantic Monthly’s Top-Fifty spot). Her story has been showcased on NPR Ireland, Vancouver Public Radio, and Comcast X/Finity. Kathleen has recently been approached by 20/20 to participate in a feature on forgiveness.

 

She lives on Long Island where she organizes writing and book groups.  Kathleen is currently working on her first novel.