Charles Robert Moore

Charles Robert Moore, 80, of Beaumont, died Sunday, March 5, 2017 in Beaumont, Texas.  He was born on July 11, 1936, to Thelma Louise Summerfield Moore and Charles J. Moore, in Lathrop, Missouri. He was a loved teacher and coach who, after graduating from William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, began his career at schools in Iowa and Missouri.  He retired as a history teacher and coach from Beaumont Independent School District.

Charlie lived two-thirds of his life in his home state of Missouri, where all three children were born, but grew to love his adopted state of Texas, where he also lived and continued to raise his family. He has children and grandchildren in both states, and favorite times were watching to see who Dad would root for while watching the two state rivalries in baseball and football. His closet is full of shirts and caps of teams that he loved, and of the colleges his grandchildren attended.

Our dad was always working. Besides his full-time job of teaching, he had a morning paper route, drove a school bus, worked refinishing gym floors in the summer, and worked weekends at a gas station close to our house.  Yet he played as hard as he worked.  He developed a love of antiques, and was known to stop at every garage sale, flea market and auction he could find, no matter what state he was in. When he retired from teaching, this hobby became his love, and he bought and sold antiques as long as he was able to continue.

Dad loved sports: watching, participating and coaching. He once told us that he had taken a train to St. Louis to try out as a catcher for the Cardinals.  The three of us kids remember many evenings at the local ballpark watching our Dad play in an adult men’s softball league. We also went along as he refereed numerous basketball games.  When the youngest child, Andy came along, he had no chance but to play every sport Dad wanted to coach.  Dad cherished his two girls, but we were all glad that God gave our family a boy to share the love of sports.

To sum our Dad up in in nutshell, I would have to say he was the most positive person I’ve known.  He never seemed defeated by his circumstances. Each day brought new possibilities; and increasingly smaller things brought greater joys. Through our parent’s relationship, we learned that opposites do attract, marriages may not last, but deep love and friendship can remain.  Our Dad never met a stranger, and has childhood friends that have brought smiles to his face up until his death.  I continued to be amazed by how many friends he had at the nursing home, both staff and residents. A stroke had left him unable to communicate with words for the last twenty years, but his eyes and his smiles talked for him.

Papa Charlie, as he was called by the grandkids and then just about everyone, was blessed to be able to live independently for many years, despite a debilitating stroke.  Although his life was greatly changed following this, he continued to always feel blessed.  He was able to watch all of his grandkids grow up, and wore out the front row of the bleachers of hs grandkids sporting events. He continued to go on outings both near and far, visiting New Orleans, San Antonio, Houston, and Galveston in the past year.  He enjoyed coffee, antiques, ESPN, and being outside with his face toward the sun.  He was blessed abundantly, loved tremendously, and will be missed by so many.  And he knew this because we could read it in those beautiful blue eyes and the smiles that spoke to all of us.

Survivors include his daughters, Kelly McClelland and her husband, Chris, of Beaumont and Julie Fischer and her husband, Zel, of Tarkio, Missouri; son, Reverend Andy Moore of Lumberton; brother, Gary Moore and his wife, Beverly, of Liberty, Missouri; grandchildren, Maggie McClelland; Brendan McClelland; Kenzie Hurst and her husband, Ben; Madison Perry and her husband, Devon; Zachary Fischer; and Courtney Fischer; and great-grandson, Levi Hurst.

A gathering of Mr. Moore’s family and friends will be from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., with a Christian Vigil at 6:30 p.m., Friday, March 10, 2017, at Broussard’s, 1605 North Major Drive, Beaumont. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, March 11, 2017, at Infant Jesus Catholic Church, 243 South LHS Drive, Lumberton. His interment will follow at 1:30 p.m. at Magnolia Cemetery, Beaumont.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Mark’s Catholic Church Capital Campaign, 905 North 9th Street, Silsbee, Texas 77656 or to Tarkio Nutrition Center, 412 Main Street, Tarkio, Missouri 64491.