Ronald Richard Moore

Ronald Richard Moore, also known as Rick, Papa and Papa Ron, was born Wednesday, July 7, 1943, in San Francisco, California. Later, his family moved to Dos Palos, California, and then to Merced, California, when he was a young child.

One of Rick’s favorite memories was the day that ignited his heart - August 17, 1962, at the Merced County fair. It was the Friday afternoon before he started his senior year of high school. He would light up when talking about how he noticed the prettiest girl he had ever seen. He spent the afternoon mustering up the courage to ask for her name. Which she did not provide at first.

After some persistence, he succeeded in obtaining her name – Elaine. They courted in high school and were married on July 11, 1964, at Sacred Heart Church, Merced, California. When reminiscing, even decades later, he would still light up just as bright as the first day and reveal how she still makes his heart skip a beat. Rick and Elaine were married for 57 years.

Something Rick greatly valued and desired in his life was placing God and Family above all else. Being the third born out of nine siblings, there were many struggles growing up. From those experiences, he decided what kind of person he would want to be for his future family. He was determined to be the best family man he could be. So, he became the father that he always wanted in his life but never had. And he was to many.

Together, they created a lovely family with 5 children (Richard, Laurie, Keith, Julie, and Heather), 10 grandchildren (Michael, Ashley, Ryan, Margaret, Jonathan, Darren, Kyle, Kimberly, Cruz, and Christian) and 4 great-grandchildren (Emma, Levi, Andrew, and Lilith).

He adopted in his heart his sons-in-law (Daniel, Spunky, and Christino), daughter-in-law (Joyce) and spouses of his grandchildren (Reagan, Andrea, Jeffrey, and Mackenzie). There were also many foreign exchange students whom he loved like his own sons and daughters.

As a grandfather, Rick was always available and present in the lives of his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and extended family and friends. He went out of his way to attend their major life events, and even minor events such as Awana’s, Sports, school lunch, etc. One fond memory is of the time he took all the grandchildren camping in the family motorhome (without Elaine’s help or their parents!). His desire was to instill within his children and grandchildren the same family and spiritual ideals that he held.

It would be easy to spend hours talking about all the different career paths he initially took to provide for his family. From being a bellhop – elevator attendant at Tioga Hotel, a AAA insurance agent, a peace officer, and eventually working 30 years for Save Mart in several departments. Not to mention, his second career working as an instructional assistant for Merced City Schools before officially retiring after 9 years. As an instructional assistant, the school children would call him “Papa Ron.” With time, the entire school also came to affectionately call him by that honored and fond title.

A favorite memory which could bring a smile to anyone’s face was to find Rick on a hot summer day sporting shorts with knee-high socks and finished the look with sandals. He never proclaimed to know fashion. However, he would tell anyone who listened of his love of God, his wife, his family, and his sweets - in that order.

Rick passed early in the morning on August 28, 2021, with his wife Elaine by his side. This past August, they celebrated 59 years together and were married for over 57 years. He was a blessing in the lives of many. It is difficult not to have him with us on earth, but we take solace in knowing that he is with his Heavenly Father. It is not a “Goodbye,” but rather a “See you later!”. It would not be a surprise that his welcome package to heaven included donuts, bear claws, and an endless supply of cinnamon bears for his pockets.

He is survived by his wife, children and their spouses, grandchildren and their spouses, great-grandchildren, and his siblings (Annette, Linda, Patricia, and Gerald). Preceded in death by his parents (Robert and Felice) and his siblings (Andrew, Robert, Sandra, and Alfred).

The Visitation will be held Friday, September 17, 2021, 8:30AM – 9:30AM. The graveside memorial will be held at 10 AM. Merced Cemetery District, 1300 B St., Merced, CA. The Celebration of Life and Memorial Service at 11AM at Gateway Church, 353 E. Donna Dr, Merced, CA.

In lieu of flowers, please, consider donating to the High School Student Ministry at Gateway Community Church: https://gatewaymerced.churchcenter.com/giving