Born in Kankakee, Illinois, on June 5, 1962, Rick was the son of Larry and Marlene Moore. He spent his childhood in various cities including Galesburg, Illinois; Peoria, Illinois; Marianne, Iowa; Des Moines, Iowa; and Denver, Colorado before making his home in Houston, Texas. He attended Cherry Creek Christian School where he played football, a sport he passionately followed, cheering on his favorite teams, the Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos.
Rick discovered his knack for mechanics early on, honing his skills in an auto shop class at Spring Woods High School. He went on to earn an associate degree in auto mechanics from Sonoma Community College. Rick also briefly worked as a security guard alongside his father and held a position at Wendy’s restaurant during his teens, where he met his high school sweetheart future wife, Lourdes "Lourie" Itliong. After six years of dating, the couple united in holy matrimony on June 20, 1987, at St. Cecilia Catholic Church in Houston.
The couple relocated to Vallejo, California, where Lourie served as a nurse in the United States Air Force at Travis Air Force Base. The Moores frequently moved due to Lourie's assignments, living in various locations across the country, including Luke AFB in Arizona, Keesler AFB in Mississippi, the Pentagon in Virginia, and Malmstrom AFB in Montana. Throughout these moves, Rick took great pride in supporting Lourie's career and being a devoted father to their children, often single-handedly managing the home front, notably during Lourie’s deployment to South Korea.
Rick was a life-time classic rock and roll fan, especially the music of Pink Floyd, Van Halen, and Styx. He was a video gamer with a fondness for Galaga and PacMan in the 1980’s and Dr. Mario in more recent years. His hobbies also included playing pool, a pastime shared with Lourie during their early dating years. Rick enjoyed fishing with his longtime best friend, Bob Weaver, where they shared many laughs and stories over a cold beer. Being the cook of the family, he was known for his skills barbequing steak and crafting delicious meals during holiday get-togethers. Other foods he enjoyed eating included chili, chocolate ice cream, chocolate cake without frosting, pickles, beets, and oatmeal cream cookies. Rick shared a passion for traveling with his family, treasuring trips to national parks and other scenic destinations across the United States, always with a camera (or phone) in hand to capture the beauty of nature (especially sunsets) and family moments.
Above all, Rick cherished his role as a father and grandfather, taking immense joy in raising his children and later, spending time with his grandchildren. He enjoyed watching Marissa’s high school volleyball games and Scott’s trumpet playing in the marching band. Rick was blessed to see his kids graduate from college and walk his daughter down the aisle to marry a wonderful husband and begin her own family. He was the epitome of a doting grandfather, dedicating his early retirement to caring for his granddaughter, Amelia, three times a week from her infancy, ensuring their days together included walks to the park and ice cream treats. He watched his grandson, Wyatt, grow, celebrating milestones like hearing him say "Bumpa" (his grandfather name) for the first time, a moment that filled Rick with immense pride and happiness.
Predeceased by his father, Larry D. Moore, and infant twins, Kevin and Melanie, Rick is survived by his mother, Marlene M. Moore; father-in-law, Vic M. Itliong; wife, Lourie; daughter, Marissa and husband JD Walt, and their children, Amelia and Wyatt of Houston, TX; and son, Scott Moore of Missouri City, TX. Rick had three surviving brothers: Daniel (Dawn) Moore of Dolgeville, New York with niece Marguerite Brown, and nephew Zechariah Moore; Paul (Kristen) Moore of Virginia Beach, Virginia with nephew Nicholas and niece Aimee; and Larry (Katherine) Moore and nephew Jayden of Baltimore, Maryland. Rick was also surrounded in love and laughs with sister-in-law, Cristina and John Carlson with niece Rebecca and nephew Alexander; brother-in-law Virgil and Michelle with niece Ashley and nephew Timothy. The Moore family is blessed to be part of the Walt Family with fellow grandparents, Jim and Kim Walt.
The family extends heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Nautiyal, the Methodist Sugar Land Oncology Specialists, the Neal Cancer Center Infusion Unit, the staff of Methodist Hospital Sugar Land Brazos 4, and Houston Hospice for their compassionate care.
In loving memory of a beloved son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend, we celebrate Rick's life and his journey to eternal peace and joy with our Lord Jesus Christ.
A visitation will be held on Thursday, April 18 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the chapel at Earthman Southwest Funeral Home, 12555 South Kirkwood Road in Stafford, immediately followed by a funeral service at 2:00 p.m.
Immediately following, all are invited to gather with the family and share remembrances of Richard during a reception to be held in the event room at Earthman Southwest Funeral Home.
SHARE OBITUARYSHARE
v.1.13.0