RIP Iron Chef

Some of our older members might still remember Gus Moran, aka the Iron Chef. He was an active member in the early years of JREF and served on the team for a while. He posted until 2014 and, two years later, visited the forum for the last time. Gus worked as an English teacher in Nagoya and Sapporo, later establishing a small but thriving language school in Fukuoka. Like many former forum members, he switched to Facebook to connect with others of the JREF clique.

Sadly, Gus passed away today. He had been battling cancer for three years. He sometimes posted updates about his struggle. This spring, his condition had worsened to the degree that he had to give up work; by the end of May, he could not leave his home anymore. He had planned to return to the US in August or September to see his family. It wasn't meant to happen.

We shall always remember you fondly. Rest in peace, Iron Chef!

I will miss my longtime Facebook friend.

That's rough to hear - Its slightly comforting at least that found success at teaching, but upsetting that his life was cut far too short.

I always was a bit jealous that he ended up in the city I loved and lived in for 2 years , Fukuoka. I'm sure the many students he taught there will miss a great teacher. He was a great poster here(over 2000 posts) , always willing to help out members with questions. It was a sad loss for JREF when he moved on from our forum and now even more sad that he's left this earth.

He was a great member for JREF to have, and we were all the better off for knowing him. It's very sad to hear of his passing. As we used to tell the kids, he's become a star in the sky. He will shine forever.