Shearn Moody, Jr.
| Shearn Moody, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Shearn Moody, Jr. May 23, 1933 Galveston, Texas, US |
| Died | June 25, 1996 (aged 63) Galveston, Texas, US |
| Cause of death | Complications from Kidney & Heart disease |
| Resting place | Galveston Memorial Cemetery, Hitchcock, Texas, U.S. |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Occupation | Philanthropist & Insurance Executive |
| Known for | Financial and Philanthropic Endeavors & Legal Issues |
| Parent(s) | Shearn Moody, Sr. & Frances Moody Newman |
| Relatives |
William Lewis Moody, Jr. (Grandfather) |
William Lewis Moody, Jr. (Grandfather)
Shearn Moody Jr. (May 23, 1933 – June 25, 1996) was an American financier, entrepreneur and philanthropist from Galveston, Texas. He was heir to a financial empire as well as a convicted felon and originator of the Moody Gardens resort complex. Moody was also the grandson of insurance and financial tycoon William Lewis Moody, Jr.
Shearn Moody, Jr., was born on May 23, 1933, to Shearn Moody, Sr., and Frances Moody Newman in Galveston, Texas. His father died in 1936, while he was an infant. Moody was well known for eccentric behavior, such as building a slide from his bedroom window to a swimming pool, where he kept pet penguins, and wearing house slippers wherever he went. Moody, a homosexual, never married and spent the final years of his life involved in civil court cases. His longtime partner was a former Las Vegas dancer named Jimmy Stoker. Moody felt that the court system was corrupt and believed that his enemies used the legal system to try to steal his wealth and power; he claimed to have employed "several hundred" lawyers in various legal battles and even at one point hired nationally-known lawyer Roy Cohn to help in his ongoing litigation problems. Moody died at home in 1996, after suffering from years of chronic high blood pressure and kidney disease.
His grandfather, William L. Moody, Jr., made a fortune by founding the American National Insurance Company, and the younger Moody hoped to follow in his grandfather's footsteps by establishing the Alabama-based Empire Life Insurance Company. This dream was short lived, however, as in 1972 his own company ousted him after the federal government began investigating his business dealings. The investigation would eventually lead to his conviction of bankruptcy fraud. In 1987 Moody was convicted by a federal court of mail fraud and wire fraud in connection with attempts to defraud his family's Moody Foundation. Moody had long served on the board of the charitable foundation, helping to direct millions of dollars in grants to just causes. However the Internal Revenue Service accused him making millions of dollars of grants to himself, and therefore owing more than $14 million in taxes and penalties. After a trial that included accusations of witchcraft, Moody singing a risque song he had commissioned about the legal profession, and threats to "blow the legs off" former Watergate attorney Douglas Caddy, a federal appellate court overturned the convictions.
...
Wikipedia