Michael Ray Moore

Michael Ray Moore, formerly of Jacksonville, passed away December 23, 2018 in St. Louis, Missouri after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. He was 77. “Mike” to his friends, he will be remembered by generations of students at the Illinois School for the Deaf as a teacher, coach, administrator, and mentor.

Mr. Moore was born August 26th, 1941 in Carterville, Illinois. He attended Carterville High School and Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, receiving bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education.

After beginning his first teaching job at the Illinois School for the Deaf straight out of college in 1964, Mike went on to a 35-year career at the school, coaching boys’ basketball for 26 years before becoming Athletic Director in 1989. Along the way, he also served in coaching positions for several other high school sports, including track, football, and girls’ basketball.

His many ISD basketball coaching accomplishments led to being named “Coach of the Year” by The Deaf American in 1978. He is credited with re-establishing the Central States Schools for the Deaf (CSSD) tournament in 1971, and he was also active in organizing a number of other local athletic programs including coaches’ clinics and youth summer camps. Competing against both Deaf and hearing teams, he led the basketball Tigers to a total of 16 total tournament wins, with a career-long record of 321 wins and 323 losses (.498%). Against Deaf opponents, his career record totals 123 wins and 24 losses (.826%). His accomplishments as Athletic Director led to being twice named as Class “A” Outstanding Athletic Director of the Year by the Illinois Athletic Directors’ Association. He was inducted into the ISD Alumni Association Hall of Fame in 2001. After retiring from ISD in 1999, he moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico with his wife Judy, where he continued to coach basketball and serve as Athletic Director for several more years at the New Mexico School for the Deaf before finally retiring in 2002.

An active citizen of the local community during his time in Jacksonville, Mike was a founding member of the former Sertoma Club, a supporter of local sports booster associations, and a Deacon at Central Christian Church, where he was an active member for 35 years.

Mr. Moore is preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Imogene Moore of Marion, Illinois, and his beloved Judy. He is survived by his daughter, Monica Moore-Žigo (husband, Tomislav Žigo), and two grandchildren aged 11 and 15.

A memorial service will be held at Central Christian Church on Saturday, January 26th, 2018 at 11 am. The family will meet friends from 10 – 11 am. A private burial service will be held later at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials may be directed to the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation (www.ALZinfo.org).