Born into the blue-collar immigrant community of southwest Detroit in 1928, Tom (Tatos) Mooradian graduated from Southwestern High School in 1947 with high academic honors and offers of athletic scholarships. He joined a repatriation group and went to Soviet Armenia, graduated from the Institute of Physical Culture and Sports with a bachelor’s degree, coached junior basketball teams, and became a legendary basketball player for Soviet Armenia. After spending 13 years trying to return to his homeland, he was granted an exit visa by the Soviet government, attended and graduated from Wayne State University with a major in journalism, and worked for Detroit suburban newspapers until his retirement in 2003.
Tom spent more than 40 years as a sports reporter and managing editor for various community newspapers in the Detroit area. Over the course of his career, he earned numerous Michigan Press Association writing awards for his articles and columns, as well as special tributes from the State Senate and Michigan House of Representatives.
Tom also received Certificates of Recognition from the Wayne County Commission and the cities of Wayne, Westland, Inkster, Belleville, and Romulus, along with the townships of Van Buren, Sumpter, and Canton, in honor of his excellence in journalism.
Tom passed away peacefully in his sleep during the early morning hours of June 5, 2024, at home with his wife and daughters by his side. Tom’s last weeks were filled with love, family, friends, laughter, and so many stories of a life well lived. He was 95.