William Thomas Moore

On Sunday, March 24th, William Thomas Moore, Jr. passed away at the age of 87. Known by his friends as Bill, he was born on October 1,1931 in Waynesburg, PA to Harold and Inez Moore. He went to Jackson High School in Jacksonville, FL and then attended the University of Florida. While at UF, he met the true love of his life, Dorothy Ellen Culpepper of Palatka, FL who he married in 1956. He joined the Navy and he continued in the Naval Reserves while starting his commercial airline pilot career retiring as a Naval Commander. In the Navy, he learned to fly and flew the last of the great propeller airplanes. Such airplanes include the Corsair, AD. He even flew the first jet fighters; including the TV and F-9F. As a commercial airline pilot he flew for Eastern Air Lines for over 30 years. Again, he started in the last of the propeller airplanes including the Martin 404, Lockheed Constellation, and Electra and then the first jets; the Douglas DC-8, Boeing 720, 727, and finally retiring flying the Boeing 757. At the end of his career, he and his wife moved to Gainesville, FL to be close to his beloved Gators. He was a member of the University of Florida Alumni Association and part of their Grand Guard Society, Gator Boosters where he was a Bull Gator and served on the Board of Directors in 2000. Bill was a member of Tucker Masonic Lodge #42, Yaarab Shrine Temple, American Legion Post 16, VFW Post 2811, Military Officers Association of America, Korean War Veterans Association Chap 267, Vietnam Veterans of America Chap 1092, and Iwo Trio of Gainesville. He served as President of the Retired Eastern Pilots Association, President and Co-Founder of the Atlanta Gator Booster Club, and President of the Gainesville Tip Off Club. Bill was a patriotic American, an honorable gentleman, devoted husband of 63 years, loving father, proud grandfather, and loyal friend. He will be missed dearly. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy, his brother, Bob Moore of Ocala, FL, his three children; William T. Moore, III and wife Helen of Peachtree City, GA, Kathy Thorne and husband John of Winston-Salem, NC, and Susannah Dawson and husband Charles of McDonough, GA, and six granddaughters: Susannah Ellen, Scarlett, Hannah, Charlotte, Bonnie and Olivia.

William Thomas Moore

March 26, 2019