Herbert F. Moore

1920 - 2017

Herbert F. Moore died at age 97 on July 15, 2017. He was a lawyer for over 50 years in Mercer County. He was born in Trenton on May 16, 1920 at 247 E. Front Street, now historic. The home was built for his grandfather John Thomas Moore, a wealthy businessman in early 20th century who started Sanitary Earthware Specialty Co. in Trenton, NJ. Mr. Moore graduated from Trenton High School in 1938. He was a member of the National Honor Society, played percussion in the school symphony and marching band. He won several awards as debater at his high school. He went to college and Georgetown University, and graduated with honors in 1942, when he went on active duty in the Navy as an Ensign. Thereafter he was assigned to the staff of Admiral John Hall, commander of Naval Amphibious forces in Mediterranean and later the Atlantic. He participated in the invasion of Sicily, Italy, and Normandy at Omaha Beach. Later he was discharged with honors as a lieutenant (S.G.). After the war Mr. Moore attended Harvard Law School and graduated as Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1948. He later attended Wharton School of Business Administration at University of Pennsylvania’s Executive Program. He started his own law firm in Trenton. After 18 years of practice, he merged with the law firm of Senator Crawford Jamieson which subsequently became Jamieson, Moore, Peskin & Spicer. Mr. Moore retired in 1989 from the law office. The highlight of Mr. Moore’s law practice was when in 1977-1978 he obtained national recognition by representing the City of Philadelphia against the State of New Jersey. He successfully argued the case before the United States Supreme Court. The case involved the Interstate Commerce Clause of the Constitution, and became a landmark case in the law books. He won the case 7-2 in his favor. Mr. Moore served on the Board of several corporations. Upon retiring from the law office in 1989, he became Chairman of the Board, President, and CEO of AAA Central New Jersey, later as AAA Central West Jersey, through a merger which was negotiated by him. Mr. Moore served on the Board of the Boys and Girls Club of Mercer County for over 40 years. In 2000, he was the first to be inducted into the Hall of Fame for the Boys and Girls Club of Mercer County. Mr. Moore served on the New Jersey Cemetery Board for two terms and was President of the NJ Cemetery Association for three terms. He was the owner and CEO of Greenwood Cemetery in Hamilton Township, the largest Cemetery in Mercer County. Mr. Moore was one of the co-founders of the NJ Dental Service Plan with Dr. Joseph Polack, now the Delta Dental of New Jersey. He served as their legal council for 25 years. Mr. Moore was on the Board of the American Red Cross Local Chapter and Mercer County Chamber of Commerce. He was on the Board and a Trustee of NJ Community Foundation. He was trustee of Hamilton Partnership in 1994 and was on the Board of Hamilton Township Economic Development Corporation. He was a member of Symposium, Sons of the American Revolution, and a past President of Trenton Lions Club. He was an avid downhill skier way into his eighties. He loved to play golf and enjoyed it even more in his advanced age. He is the son of Herbert A. Moore and Jeanette English Moore. He is survived by his wife Parvine, his daughter Adonia Curry (and son-in-law Joseph Curry), his three sons Herbert Brian, Robert English, and Gregory Kennedy (and daughter-in-law Kelly), and five grandchildren, Adonia H. Ripple (and her husband Kelsey), Ian Curry, Patrick R. Moore, Jacqueline A. Moore, and Herbert T. Moore, and one great-grandson, Cache Cullen Ripple. The family requests, in lieu of flowers, donations made to Boys and Girls Club of Trenton/Mercer County (212 Centre Street, Trenton, NJ 08611) in his memory.