By Nicole Falco
Moore, a lifelong Valley Stream resident, suffered a sudden heart attack and died Sunday morning. He was 66-years-old.
"He was very active all through his life up until the past eight years. When my mom passed away, I honestly feel he was never the same after that. It was sad for him to exist," said Donna Moore.
Moore's wife, Joan, was only 56 when she died in 1994.
"Hopefully he's happy now. He's with my mother," Donna said.
Moore's parents, the late Lannis and Kathryne, moved to Valley Stream from Delaware in the 1920s. As the story goes, one night over dinner, Lannis, a Long Island Rail Road worker, said to his wife, a teacher, "I was thinking we should go into the funeral business."
Together the two went to school at night to earn their certification as funeral directors. At the time, it was common for families to wake their loved ones in their own home, but in 1929, the couple opened Moore Funeral Home, first on Valley Stream Boulevard and later on West Jamaica Avenue where the home still exists today.
Donald Moore would follow in his father's footsteps and enter into the family business.
"He was a good man. He was always kind and compassionate to folks that came through these doors. It didn't matter what their financial circumstances were," Donna said.
Joe Ryan, a friend and co-director at the funeral home for 48-years, added, "If they needed help, we gave it to them."
Moore was also a very active member of the community. For many years he was involved in the Valley Stream chapters of the Masons, Elks and Lions clubs. His daughter, Donna, continues the family tradition of community involvement as a member and past president of the Rotary Club of Valley Stream, and his daughter, Marianne, is active in the PTA.
"His passing was a great loss to Valley Stream. He was always very cooperative, very community minded. We will miss him dearly," said Valley Stream Mayor Ed Cahill.
Moore was also an avid New York Islanders fan.
"My dad was a fervent New York Islanders' fan. He is an original season ticket holder from when they were the lonely 11 wins a year Islanders," Marianne said.
Moore's love of hockey and sports in general was something his mother instilled in him. As a young boy, Kathryne would take her son to see the then New York Giants play at the famed Polo Grounds.
Dogs were another of Moore's loves that was hard to miss. In particular, Moore favored Boston Terriers and Poodles.
"What a great guy," said Vincent Ang, Valley Stream village clerk. "He was a customer back when I had my pet store. He used to come in with his poodles; he treated them like they were his kids. He just loved those dogs. He was such a good guy. Everyone on the avenue, all the merchants knew him, all liked him."
Donna and Marianne grew up in and around Moore Funeral Home, but neither immediately entered the family business full time until fairly recently. Donna, a registered nurse, entered the business in 1994 and Marianne worked as a paralegal and stay-at-home mom before becoming involved full-time in the funeral business in 1998.
Moore's daughters will carry on the family business together, utilizing what they learned from their parents.
"You can go any place to have a funeral [for a loved one], but people remember when they were treated with kindness. That is the essence of my father's legend in Valley Stream. He was giving and he took care of people regardless of their financial position," Marianne said.
In addition to his daughters and long-time friend, Joe Ryan, Moore will be missed by Donna's husband, Edward Nachreiner, and Marianne's husband, Gordon Rothbard. Moore is also survived by his grandchildren, Victoria Rothbard, 11, and Matthew Rothbard, 8, as well as his cousins Edward and Peggy Ralph. Helping Marianne and Donna carry on the tradition of Moore Funeral Home are Martin Clarke and Joseph DeLuca, funeral directors.
