David Lowry Moore

David Lowry Moore, 89, of Minneapolis, died at home on December 17, 2025. He was born April 6, 1936. He is survived by an older brother Stan, of Chicago, a niece Barbara Bryant, a nephew Douglas Moore, two grand-nieces and three grand-nephews. His life was one of service to young people. Dave attended Robert Fulton Elementary School near Lake Harriet and Southwest High School. He followed his older brother Carl to Yale, earning a B.A. in history and a Master of Arts in Teaching. His first teaching experience was at Spring Valley, Minnesota, High School. He moved to Park Forest, Illinois, where he taught at Rich Township High School. Next, in Mannheim, Germany, he taught in the high school attached to the American army stationed there. He returned to Minneapolis and continued teaching, first at West High School, and then for many years at Thomas Edison High School. There he taught history and was the ski coach. In 1945, Dave started as a Cub Scout in Pack 33 at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis. In 1953 he earned the rank of Eagle Scout. He served as the Scoutmaster for Troop 33 from 1965 to 2010. In the early 1980s, responding to the needs of newly arrived Hmong refugees at Edison High School, Dave founded Troop 100, Minnesota's first Hmong Scout troop. The troop provided not just scouting skills, but also friendship, leadership development, and a sense of belonging. Dave published a book titled "Dark Sky, Dark Land: Stories of the Hmong Boy Scouts of Troop 100": oral histories of their experiences in the war and after. In a subsequent book, "Trustworthy Loyal Brave," he captures their progress in America. In "A Free People: Tracing Our Hmong Roots," Dave collected interviews of Hmong elders by his students. With his friend Yee Chang, Dave visited the refugee camp where Yee and others lived in Thailand on the shores of the Mekong River. Many Hmong made the difficult crossing of that river to escape from fighting and persecution in Laos where the Hmong had been American allies during the Vietnam War. Dave continued as Troop 100 Scoutmaster until his death. For 65 years, from 1959 to 2024, Dave was the Camp Director of Camp Ajawah on the shores of Lake Linwood in Wyoming, MN. There, scouts and other campers learned to become outdoorsmen and leaders. Interviewed by the Star Tribune in 2012, Dave said, "We pitch tents, we canoe, we play Capture the Flag and we build campfires. I grew up attending Camp Ajawah, and this is the same stuff I did." Dave's campfire stories were legendary. Dave was recently honored at a large gathering of current and former campers and staff. Among his honors were the Minneapolis Rotary Club's "Service Above Self" award in 1997 and the Viking Council's Distinguished Eagle Award. He was also a Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow. A celebration of Dave's life will be held at Westminster Church on Saturday, January 31, 2026. Visitation will be at 10:00 and the service at 11:00. Donations in Dave's memory can be made to Camp Ajawah (https://www.ajawah.org/donate/), or to Boy Scout Troop 100 (care of Westminster Church in Minneapolis, MN).