Richard Chesley “Dick” Moore, age 96, of Givens Estate Community, Asheville, North Carolina, and recently of The Canopy on Berryhill in Pace, Florida, died Tuesday, March 24, 2020.
Born 1923 in Bluefield, he was the son of the late Clarence Barlow and Georgia Sharp Moore. The family soon moved to Marlinton where Dick spent his formative years.
He was a graduate of Marlinton High School and West Virginia University where he received a degree in Forestry following service in WWII with the 901st Engineers in Europe. He met his wife to be, Laura Fonner, of Middlebourne, at the University, and they were married in 1950.
Dick was employed by the State of West Virginia as a County Forester, and later as Superintendent of Kumbrabow and Seneca State Forests. In 1960, he transferred to the US Forest Service in Blacksburg, Virginia, where he was District Ranger on the Jefferson National Forest.
In 1968, the family moved to Asheville, North Carolina, where he became Lands and Minerals Staff Officer for the national forests in North Carolina. He and his staff were responsible for acquiring several thousands of acres of scenic land for public use. He was responsible for acquiring numerous pristine tracts for the U.S. Forest Service which will be enjoyed by Americans for years to come.
A proud accomplishment was the acquisition of Max Patch, one of the last large privately held tracts crossed by the Appalachian Trail. He loved the outdoors and was a Golden Member of the Society of American Foresters.
Following retirement in 1985, he volunteered for the American Red Cross and at Central United Methodist Church, where he and his wife, Laura, were members since 1968. He enjoyed driving his 1931 Ford Roadster around Asheville and on the Blue Ridge Parkway. He and Laura traveled through the United States, Canada and Mexico in their Volkswagen Camper, and visited Europe and Asia in their retirement years.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Laura Fonner Moore.
He is survived by his sons Stephen Moore, (Pamela), of Pensacola, Florida, and their children, Tyler, Jackson and Weston, and Daniel Moore, (Joy), of Greensboro, North Carolina.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
If friends wish to memorialize Dick’s life, a charitable donation to Central United Methodist Church in Asheville, North Carolina, is suggested.
