MOORE, Thomas Gates, assumed room temperature on March 5, 2019 at the age of 80, while listening to “I’m Bound for the Promised Land” by Johnny Cash. Hopes are high that the heavenly choir sounds a lot like Dolly, Emmy Lou, and Allison Krauss.
Tom was born in Columbus, Ohio on August 25, 1938. He lived in Canal Winchester where he attended primary school. Tom graduated from Columbus Academy 1956 with a letter in cheerleading.
Here are a few reasons why we can’t help but laugh when we think of him, even as we miss him so:
He was a Kentucky Colonel, Shriner, and a member of several exclusive organizations including: Sam’s Club, Costco, Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards, and United Airlines 100,000 Mile Club.
In 2004, Tom was ordained as a minister in the Universal Life Church. No one was reckless enough to ask him to officiate at any ceremonies, but he did get a t-shirt and a special placard for his Lincoln.
He was an avid fan of Cohen brothers’ films, football, NASCAR, and “real country music.” He was a voracious reader of obituaries and news of the bizarre.
Tom believed every word that Rush Limbaugh said (mostly to spite his daughter). Even so, he promised that he would move back to Ohio and vote with the Democrats if Jerry Springer would run for office one more time.
He attended Kenyon College (at that time, an all boy’s school) for one year. His enrollment ended with a surprise visit from his parents, who found him in his room with a half-empty keg and more than one scantily-clad woman (one of whom he would later marry at age 44). In perhaps one of the worst parental decisions of all time, Tom was sent to Ole Miss (as it was “a fine school that would straighten the boy out”). He pledged Phi Kappa Psi. Let your imagination run wild here.
Tom loved small children and endeared himself to them with his ability to mimic farm animals and to sing silly songs.
He also enjoyed the “ballet” and traveled far to study and to support this form of art. He also took great pleasure in the fact that, unlike his friend Harry, a “dancer” never cost him $50K, an SUV, and a marriage.
Tom had BBQ in his blood and spent many evenings smoking a pork shoulder, drinking cheap beer, and taking refuge from the hot St. Louis sun in the pool.
He was drafted to the Army during the Berlin buildup. He returned home and worked as Vice President at the Canal Winchester Bank, later the Central Trust Company. He served as Kiwanis Club Tri-County President in 1966. He received the degree of Master of Strategic Air Command from the Second Air Force in 1971. He began a happy new chapter of his life when he married his college sweetheart, Judy, and moved to St. Charles, MO in 1983.
He was preceded in death by parents, Warren and Ora Gates Moore of Canal Winchester, OH, bushy-tailed best friends Bowser, Pooch, Tote, Geraldine, Ferocious, Ichabod, Marty, Martha, and Sarah. Also left to keep the stories alive are his wife, Judy of St. Charles, MO; daughter, Anna L. Moore, of Columbus, OH; stepchildren, Amy (Charlie) Brandes, Eric Hart, of St. Charles, MO and Diane (Steve) Blumberg of Kansas City, MO; grandchildren Jess and Nora Eichenberger of Columbus, OH, Claire and Emma Brandes, and Alex and Jack Blumberg; cousins Hugh Moore, John Moore (formerly of Canal Winchester, OH), and Herb Wegner of NJ. He also leaves behind the following extended families: Stiteler, Ong, Hilderman, Haughn, Holley, Ayres, Flegle, and Lively; plus, many more friends and acquaintances. His two ex-wives won’t miss him at all, but are more than welcome to attend the memorial service.
Rejoice in Tom’s new life on Friday, June 14, 2019 with a 10:00 a.m. interment at Betzer Cemetery, Pickerington Road, Carroll, Ohio, where we will play George Jones’ “He Stopped Loving Her Today” on a boombox. A memorial service will follow at 11:30 a.m. at Hope United Methodist Church (83 E. Columbus Street, Canal Winchester, Ohio). We will sing a few good rounds of “Amazing Grace” and the song he taught us well: “Jesus puts his money in the Canal Winchester Bank. Jesus Saves! Jesus Saves! Jesus Saves!” Tom’s family will host a luncheon immediately after the service in the fellowship hall.
In lieu of flowers, Tom requested donations to the Hope United Methodist Church, http://www.hopemethodist.org/ or the American Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), https://www.aspca.org/ways-to-give