Robert Wesley Moore

Robert Wesley Moore, age 84, a resident of Gulf Shores, Alabama, passed away Wednesday, July 13, 2022.

Robert “Bob” Moore was born on April 24^th, 1938, on his parents’ kitchen table in Clarkson, NE.  Bob became Clarkson’s most famous basketball player scoring the highest career points at Clarkson High and the second highest all-time scorer in Nebraska history when he graduated in 1956. Clarkson loved Bob, and Bob loved Clarkson, talking almost daily with his brother Dick to catch-up on all the news.

He began in his collegiate basketball career at the University of Kansas where he guarded Wilt Chamberlain during scrimmages as a freshman.  He transferred to Wayne State University, where he continued to dominate opponents until graduating in 1961.

In 1960, he met the love of his life, C. Virginia Moore, at a party where the first words he said to her were, “you are the girl I’m going to marry.”  They celebrated their 60^th Wedding Anniversary last August.  Theirs was one of the epic love affairs in all of history.  Virginia was with him when he took his last breath passing peacefully, content in the knowledge that he had been well loved by his family and his Lord.

Bob began his professional career as a history teacher and basketball coach.  He loved teaching and his students loved him.  When it became apparent he couldn’t raise a family on a small-town teacher’s salary, he went on to become a stockbroker. While living in Fremont, NE, Bob volunteered in a fundraising campaign at St. Patrick’s Parish and found a new profession that fed his passion for helping people and serving God.

In 1974, he joined the Cosgriff Company where he was Vice President and raised countless millions for, predominantly Catholic, churches, hospitals, colleges, and universities across the country.  In 1976, Bob and Virginia left Nebraska and built their dream home outside of Council Bluffs, IA – Freedom Ranch.  They and their three children Catherine, Charles and Anne enjoyed raising and showing horses for many years. Bob was extremely proud of his children and their accomplishments.

Bob was an incredible father he encouraged his children to always be the best at whatever they chose to do, and he was always their number one cheerleader.  And he made childhood for them remarkably fun -- waterskiing, swimming, going to too many swim meets, plays, football and basketball games to count. 

In 1994, Bob accepted a job as President of Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center Foundation, and moved to Baton Rouge, LA where he and Virginia lived until Bob’s retirement in 2005. 

Wanting to be close to their grandchildren Lucy & Jack, Cate & Caroline, Bob & Virginia moved to St. Charles, MO where they spent their summers and Orange Beach, AL where they were Snowbirds.  Last year Bob & Virginia moved to Seagrass Senior Living, Gulf Shores, AL where he spent the last of his days.  He died peacefully with Virginia at his side.

Bob constantly encouraged his children to make every person they met feel like the most important person in the world, and he lived by that motto.  Because of this spirit, Bob never met a stranger, was always a leader, could shoot the bull with anyone, had as many friends as there are stars in the sky, and to the end was making new friends of the incredible nurses, caregivers and doctors who helped him.  His family wants to express their extreme gratitude to all those who helped Bob leave the world as he lived with extreme dignity.

He was preceded in death by his father, Clarence A. Moore and his mother, Lucille Moore of Clarkson, NE.

He is survived by his loving wife, C. Virginia Moore of Gulf Shores, AL; his children, Catherine (Christopher) Hanaway of St. Louis, MO, Charles A. Moore of Orange Beach, AL, and Anne Moore of Los Angeles, CA; grandchildren, Lucy Hanaway of Chicago, IL, John Hanaway of St. Louis, MO, Cate Moore, and Caroline Moore of Mobile, AL; and brother, Richard Moore of Clarkson, NE along with many beloved in laws, nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.          

Funeral services will be held Saturday, July 23, 2022, at 11am at St. Thomas by the Sea. It will be streamed @ https://youtube.com/channel/UCLDNsqelVhftcgRSu-UnZCA  

The family will receive friends one hour before service. There will be a reception immediately following on the premises.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Mary’s Shelter Gulf Coast PO Box 18 Elberta, AL 36530, or by going online to https://secure.qgiv.com/for/msgc .

Cards of condolence can be sent to:  Seagrass Senior Living, 21298 Cotton Creek Dr., Gulf Shores, AL 36542.