On December 23, 2023, John Ralph Moore, Jr died peacefully surrounded by family at the memory care home where he had resided for over a year. John was born in Port Arthur, Texas on November 13, 1946 to Alice Keyes Moore and John Ralph Moore. John’s early years were spent in Port Arthur where he lived with his parents, beloved older sister Linda, and his maternal grandmother. He attended DeQueen Elementary School and had many outdoor adventures with his best childhood friend, Jud, who lived across the street. He liked going to the neighborhood movie theater for the Saturday matinees and especially enjoyed movie serials, like The Crimson Ghost, and Sci-Fi films. This began his lifetime love of old movies.
John moved to Austin, Texas when he was 12 years old. He attended O’Henry Junior High and graduated from Stephen F. Austin High School. John described himself as a student who tended to be either the class clown or the teacher’s pet, depending on the class.
John earned two degrees from The University of Texas at Austin: a BA in Studio Art, and years later an MS in Library and Information Science. He also received a Master’s in Behavioral Science (Art Therapy) from The University of Houston at Clear Lake, where he helped Judy Chicago install The Dinner Party on the second stop of its national tour. He worked as a professional ceramicist on Cape Cod and later in his own studio in Pennsylvania.
In 1976 John married Debra Eitelman in his parents’ backyard in Austin, Texas. They had met in late 1975 at a residential treatment center for children and adolescents, where John was employed as a mental health worker and Debra as a registered nurse. They were the campus romance. Some questioned the brevity of their courtship, but their 47-year marriage proved their love would endure. They raised two wonderful sons, Matt and Josh. Matt’s early years were in Houston while John completed his graduate work, and then the family moved back to Austin with 6-week-old Josh where they lived in the Allandale neighborhood in their Geraghty Ave house for the next 26 years. John loved being with his family, going to concerts, Astros games, his sons’ baseball, basketball, and soccer games, watching Star Trek: The Next Generation, playing and listening to music, going backpacking with his sons in Big Bend, traveling to Europe with Matt, going downhill skiing in Utah with Josh, beach trips to Cancun, visiting Taos, or just hanging out together.
John’s career choices always involved helping other people. He was a licensed professional counselor and an art therapist, working with all ages, in state and private mental health and drug and alcohol rehabilitation institutions. He was Director of Admissions and the spokesperson for Shoal Creek Hospital in Austin. His last position was as Assistant Director of the Center for Disability Studies at The University of Texas at Austin, during which time he set up clinics around the State of Texas to help people with disabilities connect with the technology they needed to improve their quality of life. John loved all kinds of people and all kinds of people loved him. He was big-hearted and tolerant and believed that everyone was doing the best that they could. From a young age, however, he was someone who would not hesitate to stand up for anyone who was not being treated justly.
John retired in 2008 and he and Debra moved to Longmont, Colorado to live closer to their adult sons who lived in Boulder. John wasted no time getting involved in the community. He, along with Debra, joined the recreation center, went snowshoeing with folks from the senior center, and volunteered with Food Share delivering food to people in need. John also volunteered at Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, joined Channel 8’s videography group, and attended and later became the leader of a meditation group based on the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh. He proudly attended countless concerts Josh performed in as a professional drummer. He loved hikes and picnics in nearby beautiful Rocky Mountain National Park. John became a neighborhood legend for playing his handmade theremin every Halloween for the trick-or-treaters and their parents. What he loved most about living in Longmont was being a loving and playful Grandpops to his precious granddaughters Stella and Clara.
John was a gentle, yet fun-loving person. He loved life and lived it fully. He was a life-long learner and avid reader. As a teenager and young adult, he read many books about the Beat Generation and a highlight of his later life was going with Matt to Denver to meet Neal Cassady’s daughter and later corresponding with Carolyn Cassady, Neal’s widow. John was very creative and engaged in one artistic endeavor or hobby after another. He made pottery throughout his life, performed an original song at the Kerrville Folk Festival with his art school buddy, Gerry; homebrewed beer; taught himself morse code and got an amateur ham radio license; painted “bunny clouds”; researched, photographed and painted Chaco Canyon; filmed and edited videos of events and interviews with people in the community for the local TV channel; taught himself how to play slide guitar; hacked a Game Boy into an 8-bit synthesizer, and built a darkroom to develop original photographs, especially of nature. He was a great storyteller and took liberty in embellishing his tales as he saw fit, often with humorous results. John enjoyed fixing up classic cars and owned several during his lifetime. Some of his favorites were his Ford Mustang, MG Midget, Chevrolet Corvette, and especially his 1960s Porsches.
John loved all kinds of music. During his college years, he frequently saw the 13th Floor Elevators share the stage with other Austin legends like Shiva’s Headband and The Conqueroo at the Vulcan Gas Company. He saw Jimi Hendrix in San Antonio and enjoyed The Velvet Underground so much that he bought tickets to go back to see them two nights in a row. In the 1970s, John delighted in turning his friends on to reggae music by introducing them to Jimmy Cliff’s The Harder They Come soundtrack. Years later during Thanksgiving meals, when asked what he was thankful for, he would list experimental musicians, like John Zorn and Sun Ra.
He also loved food and was a great cook. He enjoyed making recipes he learned from his family of origin, like cinnamon rolls, gumbo, and tamales, and sharing them with lucky family members. John also took it upon himself to learn how to cook Southern Indian food, when Debra was told by her doctor that she needed to eliminate gluten and dairy from her diet for health reasons and he was informed by Matt that this cuisine would be a safe option. John, being John, became fast friends with the owner of the neighborhood Indian grocery store who was delighted to offer advice on what and how to cook these delicious dishes.
John had a special place in his heart for animals, especially cats, many of whom graced his life over the years. His most beloved was Big, a tortoiseshell kitty who spent most of her life in his welcoming lap. He also had an inexplicable fondness for chickens, tokens of which became frequent gifts from friends and family, resulting in an impressive collection.
John was preceded in death by his parents, Ralph and Alice Moore, his sister Linda Moore Tyler and her husband Allen Tyler, and close friend Gerald Patrick. He is survived by his wife, Debra Eitelman Moore (Longmont, CO), sons Matthew Moore and wife Annette (Los Angeles, CA) and Joshua Moore and wife Andrea and their children Stella and Clara (Longmont CO), his nephew Michael Tyler and wife Beth (Seattle, WA) and their children Emily and Kate, and his niece Margaret Tyler Pass and husband Scott (Austin, TX) and their children Sadie and John.
The family deeply appreciates the kind and helpful people at TRU Community PACE (Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly) and hospice, and especially all the compassionate and competent leadership and care-giving staff at Landmark Memory Care who treated John and his family as their own family. Thanks to Brandy Queen at the Longmont Senior Center for her extraordinary dedication to helping people navigate the challenges of growing older. Also, much gratitude for John’s tried and true friends from his early college and art school days, Walter, Jack, and Hank, who stayed in touch over the years and took turns hosting periodic art show gatherings to challenge each other and share new work. Heartfelt thanks for family friend, Donna, who drove John to his beloved Rocky Mountain National Park for picnics and later to get his COVID shots when he could no longer drive. Debra would also like to thank her dear sisters, brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews, and cousin, as well as her kind and generous neighbors, and her beloved Landmark community friends for their continuing love and support. Thank you to Ron, Camryn and Charles at Ahlberg Funeral Chapel for their professional expertise and compassion in meeting the family’s needs. A special thanks to John’s great niece and potter extraordinaire, Sadie, for making his beautiful urns.
In honor of John’s wonderful life and in keeping with his life’s calling to help others in need, memorial contributions may be made to: TRU Community Care/Landmark at www.trucare.org/donate, or to a charity of your choice.
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