Steven Jay Moore

Steven Jay Moore, of Mundelein, Illinois, died on July 27, 2021, at home after a brief illness. He was born on August 14, 1946, in Shelby, Ohio to Jay E. Moore and Maxine (Stoffer) Moore.

Steve was raised in Shelby, along with his two sisters and three brothers, in the house designed and built by his father. Steve graduated from Shelby High School in 1964, lettering in track & field and basketball and then attended The Ohio State University branch in Mansfield, Ohio for one year before being accepted into the College of Engineering at The Ohio State University in Columbus in 1966. Steve paid his own way through college and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1970. Upon graduating, he accepted a job at International Harvester in Libertyville, Illinois and moved there with his wife Carol. In 1971, he purchased a 1967 Porsche 912, the first of many sports cars he would own. In 1974 he became a registered professional engineer certified by the State of Illinois and maintained his professional license throughout his career. In the mid 1980’s, he attended night school earning a master’s degree in business from Lake Forest School of Management. Steve stayed with International Harvester for 42 years, through a series of acquisitions and mergers eventually becoming Komatsu America Corporation in the 1990s. He advanced through the company, moving into international sales and retired from Komatsu in 2013 as Product Manager, Wheel Loaders & Wheel Dozers. He was dedicated and successful and provided for his family.

His work involved regular and extensive international travel, which suited his adventurous spirit and his engaging and entertaining personality. His work took him to dozens of countries, such as Germany, Russia, Poland, Japan, Australia, Turkey, Chile, and Canada. Heidelberg, Germany was a favorite of his.

Alongside his professional career he was an active volunteer in the community. He coached 7th and 8th grade basketball at Santa Maria Catholic grade school in Mundelein, attended by his sons and where his wife, Carol, taught kindergarten. He was baptized into the Catholic Church in 1981 and volunteered as a scripture reader at Sunday masses, often when his sons served as altar boys. In the early 2000s he put his business skills to work serving on a fundraising campaign for the Lake County Forest Preserve. For several years he represented Komatu operating a 20-ton Komatsu dump truck dropping thousands of rubber duckies into the Chicago River from the Wabash Avenue bridge for the Windy City Duck Race for Special Olympics. In retirement, he regularly volunteered and served meals on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Over the years, he acquired and restored several vintage sports cars, including a 1964 Porsche 356 convertible, a 1957 Porsche 356 A Coupe, and a 1974 Volvo P1800. On weekends and evenings, he could often be found in the garage at home working on his cars. He considered vintage cars to not be museum pieces, rather as machines to be driven and enjoyed. He considered the black souped-up 1964 356 convertible his “race car.”

He was an active member in the Porsche Club of America, 356 Registry, Midwest 356 Club, Chicago PCA, 356 Motor Cities Gruppe, Wisconsin 356 Club, regularly traveling to car shows and races around the country. Watkins Glen Raceway in New York is where he fell in love with motorsports. Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin was a regular destination along with the annual antique car show in Auburn, Indiana that he would attend with his father. A car racing highlight for Steve was attending Le Mans in 1984, while in Europe with Carol for their 15-year wedding anniversary.

In retirement, he placed in several competitive Porsche Club of America events, such as: Second Place Hill Climb and Third Place Autocross at the 356 Registry 2010 East Cost Holiday event in Cleveland, OH;  Second Place - Class C Autocross at the 356 Registry 2012 East Coast Holiday in Boston, MA, notably winning “Best Spin” after laying down rubber and causing some nearby spectators to flee for safety; and Third Place at the 2018 Porsche Club of America Works Reunion in Amelia Island, Jacksonville, FL. Steve entered his 1957 silver 356 A in the Restoration Group at the 61st Porsche Parade in 2016 at Jay Peak Resort in Vermont, attended by his son Matthew and grandchildren Galen and Quinn. At the event, he was interviewed and photographed for a feature published in the August 2017 Panorama Magazine. What would have been his last event was the 2020 356 Registry West Coast scheduled to occur in Bend, Oregon, postponed due to COVID then cancelled. He had planned to drive the ’64 and meet his son Eric, and grandchildren Maya and Jaylen who live in Portland.

His affinity for travel extended beyond his professional career and soon after retiring, he purchased an Air Stream camper and took to the road, often westward. His fascination with the American West might have begun on his first vacation with Carol in 1971, when they drove the 912 to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. Soon after, in 1973, he went to Vail on the first of his many Colorado ski trips. His passion for skiing was born from this love of the outdoors. He taught his sons to ski at Wilmot Mountain in southern Wisconsin. In the 1980s and early 1990s he took his sons on annual spring break ski trips to Colorado, that often included his brother-in-law Tom Herlihy, who lived in Denver with his family at the time. Steve, Tom, Matt, and Eric enjoyed many sunny and snowy days on the slopes of Breckenridge, Vail, and Copper resorts; the last being in spring 2018 on a family ski trip to Colorado when Steve skied alongside his sons, daughters-in-law, and four grandchildren. Steve’s comradery and adventurous spirit will not only be missed by his family, but by his group of ski buddies with whom he enjoyed 27 years of annual Super Bowl weekend ski trips to various North American resorts.

In 2017 he traveled to Cheyenne, WY to witness the solar eclipse and follow buffalo herds. His travels west likely sparked his interest in Native American culture, in which he immersed himself, becoming deeply spiritual and finding peace and meditation in Native American music, lore and poetry, even picking up drumming in his last years. His drum was among the few personal items within arm’s reach when he died.

His research and appreciation of family history was an expression of his pride in his family roots going back generations in Richland County, Ohio. Steve’s father grew up on the family farm in Shenandoah, Ohio on land deeded to an ancestor after service in the War of 1812. He often recalled visiting his grandparents on the farm as a child, and it was a regular destination on visits to Shelby throughout his life. His late uncle, Clayton Moore, raised his family on the farm and Steve’s cousin’s family still resides in the farmhouse today. 

Steve was a generous, supportive, and loving grandfather to Galen Moore, Quinn Moore, Maya Moore, and Jaylen Moore, often traveling to Vermont, Colorado, and Oregon to visit them and attend sports games and school functions. He was very much part of their lives, and he will be remembered fondly by them.

He was not an uncomplicated man—a contrarian, curious and independent thinker who was always engaging, entertaining, and often provocative. He was never afraid to speak his mind and offer his opinion. He was both reasoned and full of fiery emotion at the same time. He beamed with vigor, energy, and spirit, and was determined and driven. He had a magnetic personality and will be vividly remembered by everyone he touched.

Preceding his death were two brothers, Jay Howard Moore and David Moore; his parents, brother-in-law Dr. John McHugh and his parents-in-laws, Jim and Edna Herlihy. Surviving are his wife of 52 years, Carol (Herlihy) Moore, sons Matthew Moore (Susie Moakley) and Eric Moore (Lynn), four grandchildren, Galen Moore, Quinn Moore, Maya Moore, and Jaylen Moore.  Also surviving are his sisters, Sue Orr (Gil), and Sally Hurst, his sister-in-law Mary Jo McHugh,  brother Gary Moore, brothers-in-law Thomas Herlihy (Margo Izzo), Robert Herlihy (Shelley), and Richard Herlihy, and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Kristan Funeral Home is assisting the family. Steve has been cremated and his wish is for his ashes to ultimately be laid to rest alongside his wife, Carol Moore.