Ted Moore

1927 - 2014

Moore, Ted
Legendary Wisconsin sportscaster Ted Moore passed away peacefully last Friday at the age of 87. He lived an amazing life, with half a century in broadcasting that included work as the play-by-play voice of the Green Bay Packers, the Baltimore Colts, and Ted's beloved Wisconsin Badgers. He called six NFL Championships, two Super Bowls, 23 years of Badger Basketball, and numerous other games for a variety of teams, stations and networks.

Ted's booming voice is well-known to any seasoned Wisconsin sports fan. Ted claimed that his voice changed as a teenager on a cross-country train trip, but it became what some later called the Voice of God. His "pipes" were so recognizable that Ted was often approached in public by strangers who heard him talking and would launch into stories about where they were when they heard the Ice Bowl or some other game he called that meant a lot to them.

Ted lived a life that other men can only dream of. He rubbed elbows with Vince Lombardi and Packer greats, Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsh and Badger coaches like John Powless and Bud Foster, Marquette Coach Al McGuire, and many others. Ted also worked with broadcast legends like Ray Scott, Earl Gillespie and Jim Irwin, to name a few.

Ted never missed a game and would do anything to get there, hailing a Sheriff's Deputy to drive him through a blizzard on one occasion and hitching a ride in the back of furniture truck to make it on another. During 16-below conditions in the Ice Bowl, Ted sent someone to a gas station across the street to fetch windshield fluid to keep the windows of the broadcast booth from freezing over. Ted made his iconic call of Bart Starr's game-winning TD through a six-inch opening left in the window by the end of the game.

Most of all, Ted Moore was a consummate professional. He worked hard to get to know the coaches, players, plays and stats, and he called every game with the same effort and excellence, from thrilling victories for championship teams to blowout losses for struggling squads when he knew few fans were still listening. Ted recreated games from tickertape, called some of the earliest NFL games shown on live TV, covered the entire Lombardi Era, and called more than 1,000 games over his career. He was inducted into the Wisconsin Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame, where you can see more about Ted's career than we can do justice here.   Ted was also blessed with a great family, some of whom are with him now: his parents, Norman A. Mohrbacher and Mary Franklin; his sister, Mary Anne Borrego; and his son, Kerry E. Moore, about whom Ted spoke so proudly before Kerry's tragic passing. Ted is survived by his wife of 64 years, Jacqueline, his loving son, Richard A. Moore, and his wonderful daughter-in-law, Tammy M Moore. Ted also had four grandchildren (Amanda J. Austin, Elisabeth F. Santamaria, Zackary C. Moore, and Tyler K. Moore) and two great children (Liam Santamaria and Noah Austin), thus ensuring new generations of Packer and Badger fans for many years to come.

Ted also loved his colleagues from WTMJ and the other radio and TV stations where he worked, and his friends from the Silver Spring House, Ray Jackson's and other places where told jokes, laughed and passed the time between seasons. Most of all, Ted leaves us with great memories of the man, his stories and all of the games he called for us over the years.

Ted's family would like to thank WTMJ, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, the Green Bay Packers, Mark Murphy, Bob Harlan, Bart Starr, Wayne Larrivee and everyone else who helped remember Ted and his career, before and after his passing. That includes those who have supported Ted's admission to the Packer Hall of Fame, where his booming voice can be heard every day Lambeau is open.

We invite you to join us in celebrating Ted's life this Thursday, August 28, 2014 at ST. JOSEPH CATHOLIC CHURCH (1619 Washington St., Grafton, WI 53024). Visitation will be from 2-4 PM, with Mass to follow from 4 to 5:30PM, and everyone is welcome to attend.

In lieu of flowers, or donations, we simply hope that you will remember Ted the next time you tune into a Packer or Badger game. He'd like that.

ZWASKA FUNERAL HOME
4900 W. Bradley Rd. (414) 354-5330
www.zwaskafuneral.com