Saul Francis Moore Jr.

GILBERT – Funeral services for Saul Francis Moore, Jr., 84, will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, July 8, 2011 at Beulah United Methodist Church with interment in the church cemetery. Caughman-Harman Funeral Home, Lexington Chapel is assisting the family with the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospice Care of Tri-County, 166 Stoneridge Drive, Suite 100, Columbia, SC 29210 or Beulah United Methodist Church, 161 Beulah Church Road, Gilbert, SC 29054.

Mr. Moore was born February 4, 1927 in Columbia, SC and died at his home after a short illness on Sunday, July 3, 2011. He was a son of the late Saul Francis Moore, Sr. and Lena Mary Shelley Moore. Mr. Moore was raised in Galivants Ferry, SC and his religious affiliation was Methodist. He also lived in Norfolk, VA, Newport, R.I., Jacksonville, FL, Glenview, IL, Patuxent River, MD, Utica, NY, Whitesboro, NY, Glens Falls, NY, Columbia, SC, Daytone Beach, FL and Gilbert, SC. Mr. Moore studied Engineering at Clemson University and earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of South Carolina.

He enlisted in the U.S. Navy on February 1, 1945 and served on active duty until July 12, 1946 when he was discharged and enlisted in the Naval Reserves. He was recalled back into active duty on September 20, 1950 and served until April 20, 1953. He retired from the Naval Reserves on July 1, 1985 as a Captain. Mr. Moore served in World War II in the Asiatic Pacific theatre and in the Korean War while on active duty. He served in the Airborne Early Warning Squadron in Patuxent River, MD Class A Radar School and Class C Instructors School, Officer Candidate School, CIC Officers School, CIC Flight Training School, Tactical Control Officer on Lockheed P-3 A Orion Antisubmarine aircraft in the reserves. Mr. Moore began working for General Electric (G. E.) in 1953 in Irmo, SC and transferred with the company to Daytona Beach, FL where he worked on NASA’s Apollo program. He retired from G. E. in 1988.

Mr. Moore was a member of the American Legion, Masons, Hollow Creek Community Center, Board Member of Beech Mountain Condo Association and the Genealogy Societies of Lexington and Columbia, SC. Throughout his life, Saul Francis Moore, Jr. loved to garden and after retirement worked on the family farm, whether harvesting home-grown potatoes and figs or picking peaches and pecans. Another favorite hobby was tracing genealogy. He also was a long-time NASCAR fan (Ford cars only) and was happiest when Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch were having problems. He was known by many names – Mr. Moore, Saul, Francis, Moe, Uncle Moe, Capt. Moore and Poppa – but no matter who you were to him or what you called him, he was there to help you, quietly and without the expectation of gratitude or favors in return. He will be dearly missed by his wife, children, grandchildren, great-granddaughter, numerous beloved in-laws and the countless friends he made throughout his remarkable life.

Mr. Moore is survived by his wife, Hazel Wolfe Moore; children, Sharon Moore Estes of Ormond Beach, FL, Beverly Moore of Gilbert, SC and L. Wayne Moore of Palm Bay, FL; grandchildren, Sherry Estes Bithell, Brandon Moore and Chase Moore; great-granddaughter, Alexandra Bithell. He was predeceased by one sibling.