Obituaries

Appreciation: Travis Moersch Was a Great Kid—And More

The 20-year-old lived in Rancho Santa Margarita, attended school in Mission Viejo and church in Lake Forest. For those who knew him, they had seen the greatness of humanity.

Submitted by Brad McGirr

“What a kid. What a great kid.” 

I would mutter this phrase under my breath as I sat in the dugout, watching one of our smallest players, Travis Moersch, put a catcher’s mask over his smiling face and trot out to his position on the field. I was one of his coaches, and I knew him well. But what I didn’t know was that this happy child with the curly blonde hair and ever-present smile would accomplish so much in his young life, and in doing so, would leave an indelible mark on the world and a lasting legacy for others to emulate. 

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Travis eventually attended Mission Viejo High School where he played football and served as captain of the golf team. He earned the Bobby Jones Award for integrity, character and leadership, as well as the Spirit of the Diablo Award and an award from the Orange County Fellowship of Christian Athletes recognizing Travis’s upstanding character. Multiple awards followed, but knowing his parents, Elizabeth and Peter Moerch, as I did, awards recognizing Travis’s fine character came as no surprise. But it wasn’t the awards recognizing his service that interested Travis; it was the selfless desire to serve others that inspired him. 

Travis went on to volunteer his services to the Lion’s Heart Service Organization where he earned the President’s Volunteer Service Award, and became a leader with his “Life Group” and High School Ministry at Saddleback Church.  He traveled to New Mexico to work on an Indian Reservation, and he raised more than $4,000 to fund his own trip to Rwanda as part of the Orphan & Vulnerable Children Ministry, Soccer Outreach Program. 

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Travis was passionate about animals, volunteering at the Mission Viejo Animal Shelter and working at Rancho Santa Margarita Animal Hospital.  He hoped to become a veterinarian and had recently been accepted to the Animal Science/Pre-Veterinary Medicine Program at Abilene Christian University. 

Only 20 years old, Travis Moersch  passed away suddenly on Friday, June 21, only 3 weeks after delivering the eulogy at his grandfather’s funeral.  He leaves what very few 20 year olds leave behind: A legacy.  A legacy of love, kindness, selflessness and service to others.  

He truly personified John Wooden’s quote: 

“You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.”

If you suddenly learned that you had only 20 years left to live, what would you do with your remaining time? What legacy would you leave for others to emulate? Would you let a day go by without doing something, no matter how small, for someone else’s benefit? If we are to truly honor Travis’s legacy, we won’t let a day go by without a smile, a kind word, or a deed which can never be repaid. 

Travis used to work at Selma’s Chicago Pizzeria & Tap Room, and I would always look forward to seeing him whenever I visited. He was no longer the little boy I coached, but was a young man who always met me with that same smile, a  hug, and a warm greeting for “Coach Brad.”  I loved that young man. I loved what he was, and I loved the idea of what he was to become. It was always a joy to see him, and invariably I would leave muttering the same phrase from years ago. 

“What a kid. What a great kid.”

Brad McGirr serves as a City Councilman for the city of Rancho Santa Margarita. He resides in RSM with his wife, Julie, and their three children.


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