Birgitta Eivor Moylan, a notable bacteriologist from Johns Hopkins University and a prominent figure in the Swedish community of Baltimore, passed away due to congestive heart failure on October 23, 2023, at her residence in Homeland. She was 84 years old.
Born in Stockholm, Sweden, she was the daughter of Sigurd Valther Jansson, an executive with the Stockholm Tramways, and Irma Birgitta Andersson Jansson, who owned a restaurant named Fregatten. Birgitta spent her formative years working at her great-aunt’s general store on the island of Yxlan in Stockholm’s archipelago. After completing her education at Bromma Kommunala Flickskola in 1959, she pursued her studies at the Karolinska Institute, a prestigious medical university, where she trained as a bacteriologist.
In October 1963, she relocated to the Hamilton neighborhood of Baltimore to join a team at Johns Hopkins Hospital. “She took a huge chance in coming to Baltimore. She picked Johns Hopkins and said, ‘I’ve heard of that.’ She loved her job and loved to work,” said her son, Stephan Moylan. He described her as “kind and warm,” noting that she had a profound impact on those around her.
Birgitta met her husband, Martin Moylan, through an article and photograph about her work at Johns Hopkins that appeared in the News American. A photographer shared her contact information with political reporter Frank DeFilippo, who then passed it along to Martin, an attorney. Their first blind date, which took place at the Eichenkranz restaurant, was marked by a humorous misunderstanding; Birgitta, still mastering English, thought Martin was a truck driver due to his discussions about trucks, a reference to his job at the Interstate Commerce Commission. “Fortunately, her Swedish roommate later clarified that he was a lawyer, and their future was sealed,” Stephan added.
After raising three children, Birgitta returned to Johns Hopkins at the Bayview Medical Center, where she joined the asthma and allergy research center under the mentorship of Dr. Robert Naclerio, an otolaryngologist. Her dedication to her profession and community extended beyond her work; she was an active member of the Johns Hopkins Club and contributed to her Swedish heritage through the Sveaborg Society of Maryland, a local Swedish American organization that met at various Lutheran churches across Baltimore.
“Her Swedish accent got stronger through time. She was always involved with food. She had hundreds of cookbooks. She could plan a meal, cook it, and be the life of the party,” her son said, emphasizing her vibrant personality. He described her as a “social butterfly,” noting that she remained socially active until her passing.
Birgitta’s husband, Martin Moylan, passed away in 2019. She is survived by two sons, Judge Stephan Moylan of Oakland, Maryland, and Christopher Moylan of Stockholm, Sweden; a daughter, Martina Dilks, of Baltimore; a sister, Maja Berg of Degeberga, Sweden; a brother, Christer Jansson of Stockholm; and seven grandchildren.
The family plans to announce service arrangements at a later date.
