James L. Moore, whose newpaper columns entertained readers with their lighthearted accounts of life in Greene County, died Friday, January 2, 1998, in Greene County Memorial Hospital, after being seriously ill for the past month.
Moore, 63, of 107 North Porter Street, Waynesburg, worked for 38 years as a newspaperman and at the time of his death was editor of the Greene County Messenger.
He was remembered Friday by friends, relatives and co-workers as a man who loved Greene County and the work of a community journalist.
Moore was born June 30, 1934, in Waynesburg, a son of the late Mildred Shultz Moore and Ralph E. Moore.
He graduated from Waynesburg High School in 1952 and enlisted in the U.S. Marines Corps on January 12, 1953.
Moore's stint in the service included a 12-month tour in the Far East with Marine Fighter Squadron 451. He was discharged January 11, 1956.
Moore attended Waynesburg College and Edinboro State College, and went to work with the former Democrat Messenger newspaper in 1959. He joined the newspaper as a reporter and later became sports editor and news editor.
He left the newspaper in March 1971 to join the staff of the Observer-Reporter. Moore was promoted in 1973 to news editor, but because of a heart problem transferred in 1979 to the newspaper's Greene County office, where he covered local news and wrote a weekly column.
"He was one of the easiest-going persons I ever worked with," Park Burroughs, managing editor of the Observer-Reporter, said. "He was a delight to work with."
In 1990, Moore left the Observer-Reporter and with Dan Morris started the weekly Greene County Messenger. He was co-publisher with Morris until retiring in January 1997. He continued, however, as editor and columnist.
"He can't be compared with any other writer," Morris said Friday. "He was one of a kind and was someone I always looked up to as what a real community newspaperman should be."
Moore knew the people and the community like nobody else, Morris said. That was his role with the newspaper. "Without him it wouldn't have worked," he said.
Morris characterized Moore as the "quintessential newspaper guy," with a cup of coffee in one hand and a cigarette in the other.
Moore had written a column at the Observer-Reporter and continued to write one with the Greene County Messenger.
"I think a lot of people bought the Messenger just because of his column," said his daughter, Natalie Eddy of Mt. Morris.
The column was filled with humorous items, nuggets of homespun wisdom and slice-of-life accounts of Greene County people and events.
Eddy said her father never seemed to have trouble coming up with material. "He just came up with it. I don't know where he got it," she said.
In his writing, Moore also could be critical of people and their actions, Waynesburg Police Chief Timothy Hawfield said. His criticism, however, "was never done in a hateful or mean way," he said.
Moore could be serious, but he also could see the humorous side of things, Hawfield said. He could also easily laugh at himself.
Moore was active in the community, serving on the first Waynesburg recreation board. He helped lead the effort to construct Meadlowlark Park and start the first borough ambulance service.
Moore ran unsuccessfully for county commissioner in 1971. He was a Franklin Township supervisor from 1975 to 1977, and was just elected last year to serve on Waynesburg Borough council.
"He was very much a part of Greene County," said his younger brother, Mark E. Moore of Rogersville. Mark Moore noted his brother had gone away when he served in the Marines. "But once he got back, he never wanted to leave. He was satisfied living here and was involved in everything."
Moore was a member of Waynesburg Moose Lodge 461, Tri-County Leathernecks and Pennsylvania Newspaper Editors Association.
He worked every year on the Leatherneck's Toys-for-Tots campaign.
"He was a good-hearted guy who would never tell you 'no,'" said his friend, John Blosser.
Moore played football in high school and with the Marines. "He was a good athlete in his day," Blosser said.
He later enjoyed visiting the Wheeling Downs race track in Wheeling, W.Va. "He was in heaven when he was down there," Blosser said.
Hawfield, who had known Moore for at least 20 years, said he often thought of Moore as someone who "epitomized" Greene County.
"His main concern was the good of the community," Hawfield said. "When you take into account character, goodness, community consciousness and care for the community, you think of Jim Moore," he said.
In addition to his daughter and brother, Moore is survived by a son, J. Bret Moore of Waynesburg; four grandchildren, Andrew Eddy, Alex Eddy, Katlyn Moore and Rachel Moore; three sisters, Ann Hale of LaPlata, Md., Joyce Baldwin of Waynesburg and Billie Jo Rinehart of Waynesburg; a second brother, Richard H. "Shorty" Moore of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; and several nieces and nephews.
A brother, Jerry Moore, is deceased
Copyright ©1998 Observer Publishing Co.
Last updated Saturday, January 3, 1998
Local Newspaper man dies
BY BOB NIEDBALA
THE OBSERVER-REPORTER
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