Posted on 02/24/2020
Harry Robert Moore Jr. (August 31, 1932 - February 5, 2020)
Harry Robert “Bob” Moore, Jr. passed away peacefully in Bristow, VA, on February 5, 2020, surrounded by his family and in the arms of his loving wife of 62 years, Cathy. Bob was 87 years old.
Born in Paducah, KY on August 31, 1932, Bob was the only child of Kathryn and Harry Moore. His father managed a number of movie cinemas in different towns and Bob often liked to talk about the many golden-age movie stars he met as a youngster as the actors toured cinema houses across the country to promote their latest films.
It was during his sophomore year at Iowa State University that Bob felt the pull to serve his country and subsequently enlisted in the Navy. In 1953, he received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy from Alban Barkley, Vice President to Harry S. Truman.
While at the academy, Bob participated in extracurricular sports and showed a particular passion for lacrosse–a passion he took great pride in sharing with his grandsons in later years as they, too, picked up the sport. He also served as an editor for the academy’s yearbook “Lucky Bag.” His greatest challenge, other than excelling in anything scholastically, lived an hour away in Baltimore. Cathy captivated his focus completely, and the two were married shortly after his Naval Academy graduation in 1957.
The early years of their marriage were filled with travel from one station to the next with long periods of separation while Bob was at sea. They had two sons, Robert (inspired by dad to attend and graduate from the USNA) and Scott. After 10 years, Bob retired his commission and was honorably discharged in 1967.
Over the next 38 years, Bob worked in civilian government jobs in support of the Navy, including as a Systems Engineer for VITRO, as the Project Engineer for the Advanced Development, P-3C Surveillance System with NAVAIR and subsequent promotions with NAVORD and NAVSEA, where he worked on cruise missile and guided projectile development among other programs.
Bob officially retired in 2005. His latter years were punctuated by Navy football games with family, frequent golf outings with Cathy, sailing trips on the Chesapeake Bay on his Scottish sailboat, “Caitlin” (named for Cathy), reading constantly (he was an avid reader of “high brow” with a predilection for books on physics) and singing tenor in a local barbershop a cappella group (his music tastes were eclectic, from Benny Goodman to Cat Stevens to Pink Floyd!).
Always a devoted family man and a very involved grandparent, he attended many scout meetings, little league sporting practices and games and school events and took his beloved grandchildren on frequent weekend outings.
He reveled in telling the same jokes, over and over, just to rib people he loved. He was devoted to genealogy research and an avid family photographer. He enjoyed following politics and volunteered for several presidential campaigns along with the Prince William County Election Board.
He is survived by his wife Cathy, sons Robert and his wife Rebekah, Scott and his wife Janice, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He was loved dearly and is missed terribly.
A memorial service will be held on Friday, February 14 at 11 a.m. at Manassas Presbyterian Church, (8201 Ashton Ave. Manassas, VA, 20109), followed by a military interment ceremony at Quantico National Cemetery at 1 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that a donation be made in memory of Harry R. Moore Jr. to Wounded Warrior Project (support.woundedwarriorproject.org).
PIERCE FUNERAL HOME
9609 Center St.
Manassas, VA 20110
pfh@piercefh.com
(703) 257-6028
https://www.piercefh.com
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