Kenneth Michael Moore

Kenneth Michael Moore, also affectionately known as Kenny the Barber and Kenny the Duck Hunter, age 82, of Brentwood, Tennessee, passed away on September 12, 2024, peacefully at home, after battling liver cancer for many years.

Kenny was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, at St. Anthony’s Hospital. He was a lifelong Terre Hautean until he moved to Athens, Georgia, in 2006 to be near his daughter and her family. He was the son of Clem and Nellie (Critchley) Moore.

Kenny graduated from Otter Creek High School in 1960 and attended Indiana Barber College in 1962, where he graduated second in his class.

Kenny joined the US Army in 1965 and was in the 604th MP Battalion at Fort Knox in KY to Fort Gordon in GA to Fort Riley in KS to Fort Leavenworth. After returning home in 1966, he remained in the Reserve until 1970. He obtained the rank of Staff Sergeant E-6.

Kenny met the love of his life, Sharon, in 1966, at Southside church of Christ, and they were married in 1968. They resided in Terre Haute their entire marriage until they made the move to Georgia in 2006 and then to Tennessee in 2022.

Kenny was a barber at The Hair Machine on North 13th Street in Terre Haute for 38 years. He was an incredible barber, not just in skill, but also in personality. He was a wonderful story teller and a wonderful listener. Customers would drive from an hour and a half away in Indianapolis and even farther from Illinois to wait over an hour or two to have their hair cut by Kenny. Kenny cut the hair of many members of the Terre Haute North Football Team and Swim Team back in the 80’s when they’d want matching mohawks or shaved heads. Kenny’s loyal customers, who became friends, were crushed when he announced his retirement, as they knew they couldn’t find a better barber or friend.

Kenny was a faithful member of the Southside church of Christ in Terre Haute for his entire life until he moved to Georgia. He served as a deacon there for six years and an elder for fifteen years. Kenny loved his church family at Southside and gave his all to serving them. He was a favorite Sunday School teacher to many tweens and teens over the years, and to this day, those now adults say what an impact Kenny had on their lives.

When Kenny moved to Georgia, he became a member of the Campus View church of Christ, making his mark there as well, becoming a friend to all, and serving that congregation in any capacity he could. Leading in worship, participating in all church activities, and encouraging others were his strengths.

The last two years, Kenny has been a member of the Crieve Hall church of Christ in Nashville, and he once again worked, even with his health struggles, to be an active part of that church family and serve any way he could, at this point mostly by encouraging. Kenny was a true Barnabas! He was everyone’s biggest cheerleader and encourager. At some point, Kenny probably told you that you were his hero, because he was always able to see the good in everyone.

Kenny was the secretary and treasurer of the Local 499 Barber’s Union in Terre Haute. He was also very involved in Camp Wabashi, a local Christian camp in Terre Haute sponsored by the churches of Christ in the area. He served on the camp board for eighteen years and received the Camp Wabashi Lifetime Appreciation award in 1992 for his years of service and support.

Kenny was a true patriot. He loved America and wasn’t afraid to show it, usually sporting some type of flag themed clothing at least once a week. Half of Kenny’s wardrobe consisted of clothing that was either patriotic, camouflage, or his favorite color orange!

Kenny was an avid outdoorsman. Hunting, fishing, golfing, camping, you name it. Kenny was great at turkey and deer hunting, but his specialty was duck and goose hunting. Kenny was a legendary duck and goose hunter, and his skill was well-known in his hometown. Whether it be on Hovey Lake in Indiana or across the border in Canada, if there was hunting, he was ready! He probably fished before he could walk, and he won multiple local fishing contests. Even if he didn’t catch any, he just loved being out on the water, in his rowboat, with his little Igloo cooler, waiting for a bite. But make no mistake, he wanted a bite! He also loved deep sea fishing in Daytona, which was always a fun family outing while vacationing there. Golfing was also big on Kenny’s list, and he enjoyed playing with friends or alone. Being a lifelong Hoosier, he relished another type of hunting: mushroom and asparagus. He knew the best places to hunt for morel mushrooms and wild asparagus in the Wabash Valley and would then cook them to perfection!

Speaking of cooking, Kenny was a whiz, and his specialty was steaks on the grill (medium rare), fried potatoes, and crab legs. He didn’t cut hair on Mondays and Thursdays. He said it was because he had to cut hair on Saturdays, but most people believe it was so he could hunt and fish those days! However, not cutting hair those days had perks for the family, as it wasn’t uncommon for dinner those nights to be steak and crab legs. He also made epic sweet tea that would make your sugar spike but your mouth very happy!

Kenny loved sports and passed on his love of the St. Louis Cardinals to his girls, but his favorite teams were the Terre Haute North Patriots football and basketball teams and the Indiana State University Sycamores basketball team. Kenny attended most games at North High School and at Hulman Center and would stay to the end, no matter the score, cheering for his beloved Patriots and Sycamores for the decades he lived in Terre Haute.

Kenny’s happy place was Daytona Beach. He and Sharon vacationed there for almost fifty years, starting with one week but eventually working their way to the entire month of June. Getting up early to fish from the pier, eating seafood, and walking on the beach was what Kenny lived for. He and Sharon love the memories and friends they made there, especially their friends from Holly Hill church of Christ where they attended faithfully during their month-long stay.

Kenny enjoyed TV about as much as anyone can! He was a Jeopardy fanatic, always trying to answer every question (or is it question every answer?) and especially get Final Jeopardy correct. Later in life, he would call his brother Keith right before Final Jeopardy, and they would each say their answer on the phone to see who was correct.

Have Gun—Will Travel, M*A*S*H, Andy Griffith, Matlock, Perry Mason, and all the oldies, Kenny couldn’t get enough. Barney Fife was his all-time favorite TV character, and Barney could make him chuckle to full on roar with laughter. If at any point you had a conversation with Kenny, any of Barney’s popular lines, such as “nip it in the bud”, was probably inserted at some point. He loved Elvis, and often back in the day would be working in the garage at his home on Imperial Avenue in Terre Haute, listening to an Elvis mixed tape that he had made on his old black tape recorder.

Christmas lights all over the outside of the house that would give Clark Griswold a run for his money, giving countless quarters to his daughters to play video games in the arcade back in the 80’s (and having as much fun as they did), playing the Claw Machine/Crane Game and winning countless stuffed animals, bowling at Imperial Lanes in Terre Haute, fishing, magic tricks, Disney World, Kings Island, the Banks of the Wabash Festival, camping, Cardinals games at Busch Stadium, making Christmas morning feel like a big parade, building sand castles on Daytona Beach, nightly devotionals (without fail) of Bible reading and prayer for the entire eighteen years of his girls living at home, Kenny was the ultimate girl dad, a role which he cherished and appreciated the last 54 years.

Kenny is survived by his wife of 56 years, Sharon, his two daughters, Beth (David) Greeson of Brentwood, Tennessee, and Susan (Albert) Thweatt of Nashville, Tennessee, his brother, Keith Moore, of Watkinsville, Georgia, his three grandsons that he loved with all his heart and of whom he was extremely proud, Carter Thweatt of Little Rock, Arkansas, Max Thweatt of Nashville, Tennessee, and Luke Greeson of Brentwood, Tennessee, and his two sweet grand-dogs that he loved petting and talking to in his “dog voice”, Molly Thweatt and Lucy Greeson.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Clem and Nellie Moore, and his grandson, Griffin Thweatt, who we know is excited to finally meet his fun papa! We’re positive that Kenny is already teaching Griffin how to fish in what is surely a fully stocked pond in Heaven!

The family wishes to thank the amazing care team that Kenny has had the last three years, that gave him these extra years of life, fun, and memories. Dr. Tony Borgmann, Dr. Alexandra Shingina, Dr. David Hagaman, Dr. Steven Allon, Nurse Jennifer Baker, and Christina Pichiarello, PA-C, all from Vanderbilt Medical Center, and Aveanna Hospice in Franklin, TN, whose compassion and skill kept Kenny comfortable and at peace the last week at home.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, September 19, from 4-7 p.m. at Crieve Hall church of Christ in Nashville. The Celebration of Life will be on Friday, September 20, at Crieve Hall church of Christ at 10 a.m., with a visitation preceding at 9 a.m. The service will be livestreamed beginning at 10 a.m. central time on the Crieve Hall church of Christ website.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Kenny’s memory to the Crieve Hall church of Christ Benevolence Fund. Donations can be made by sending a check to Crieve Hall church of Christ, 4806 Trousdale Drive, Nashville, TN, 37220, and in the memo write Kenny Moore Benevolence Fund. Donations may also be made by Venmo to Barry Gibson at @barrychyg. Please mark the “What’s this for?” line with Kenny Moore Benevolence Fund.

Kenny the Barber/Kenny the Duck Hunter is now whole and where he lived his life to be. Kenny asked that when the time came for his obituary, he wanted to let everyone reading it know that Heaven is REAL, God is REAL, and Jesus is REAL, and that he wants you in Heaven with him!

Kenny said, “I pray that if you haven’t given your life to Christ in baptism, that you will find a Bible believing/following friend or church, hear The Word, believe it, confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and be baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Find a church family and live your life for Christ renewed with the knowledge and solid hope that Jesus is our Savior and Heaven is near! I want to see you all there!”

So on behalf of Kenny, put on a patriotic, camouflage, or orange shirt, eat a medium rare steak or crab legs, watch a little Barney Fife, and give a “cheers” to Kenny with some sweet tea!

Kenny’s VICTORY has been secured, and as he always said, “I’m ready to go to that big barbershop in the sky. Next stop Heaven!”