James Willard Moore

1938 - 2024

James Willard Moore
11/17/1938 - 10/15/2024
Born in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Bill was the first-born of Robert E. Moore and Marianne Tyler Moore. As a dependent of a career army officer, he experienced a wide variety of cultures, growing up in Santa Fe, Texas, post-war Germany, France & Japan, Kentucky, Virginia, California, and Missouri.
He enrolled at Washington and Lee University in Virginia, but transferred after one year to Reed College in Oregon, where he found a home among like-minded people. He majored in history, involved himself in left-wing political activities, became a lifelong advocate for labor, and enjoyed folk dancing and songs.
His pursuit of a PhD in German history at U.C. Berkeley was interrupted by three years in the US Army. He served in the Army Security Agency in Germany and became fluent in German. After his discharge, Bill completed his PhD--and also developed a life-long passion for folk music, especially the ballads, songs and sea shanties of the British Isles. Over the years he learned songs too numerous to count and could sing them in their local dialects. Members of the local folk-singing groups he joined were impressed by his seemingly endless repertoire.
Changing his focus, Bill went to Hastings for a law degree, and for many years practiced law in the Bay Area. His greatest joy as a lawyer was working on anti-trust suits and similar business misbehaviors. His personal joys were family, photography and folk singing.
After retirement he returned to Portland, Oregon, to live with his brother Charles and his wife. There he enjoyed old friends and made new ones, especially among the folk singing community.
Never married, he is survived, loved and missed by his brother Charles, his sister Roberta, other relatives, and the many singing companions and friends he made in Portland. He now lies buried at Rose City Cemetery. There will be a memorial celebration of his life at 1:00 PM on December 15th at the Steeplejack Brewing Company.