Joseph Leroy Moore

Joseph Leroy Moore, beloved husband, father, grandfather & great-grandfather passed away peacefully in Austin, TX on May 1, 2023, at the age of 96. Leroy was born on March 21, 1927, in Lindsay, Oklahoma, and was the youngest of nine children of Robert Thomas Moore and Lela Victoria Sawyer.

Leroy attended Kennedy High School from January 1943 to May 1945. Leroy entered the Army into active service on June 14, 1945. His Summary of Military Occupation was as a Surgical Technician. Leroy performed the duties of a Surgical Technician for a period of 12 months in Zama, Japan with the 4th Replacement Detachment, 2nd Battalion. He was honorably discharged on November 11, 1946. Leroy was decorated with the Army’s World War II Victory Medal and Army of Occupation Medal. He returned to Kennedy High School and was granted his GED and graduated from Kennedy High School on February 10, 1947.

After graduating from high school, Leroy moved to Austin and began working for the Texas Department of Public Safety. It was there that he met his lifelong love and wife, Donna Kathleen Moore. At work, Leroy would playfully throw paper clips at Donna to catch her attention. They were married on August 20, 1954, at Northwest Baptist Church in Austin, Texas, and honeymooned in Red River, New Mexico. Upon their return, they resided in North Austin. Leroy and Donna started their family in 1956 and had 3 children. They bought a house in South Austin in 1959. Leroy left the Texas Department of Public Safety to work for Glastron Boat Company as a computer programmer. Glastron is a boat manufacturing company founded in 1956, in Austin, Texas, and was one of the first manufacturers of fiberglass boats. Leroy left Glastron and accepted a computer programmer job at Wilson Oxygen & Supply Company. Wilson Oxygen and Supply Company grew from a small company to one of the largest independent industrial gas companies in the country. Leroy retired from Wilson Oxygen & Supply Company in 1992 and Donna retired from the University of Texas Power Plant.

After retirement, they bought a house in Manchaca, Texas in 1993, purchased a newer travel trailer, and began spending their summers (May-September) in Creede, Colorado. For the next 20-plus years, they continued this routine until Donna’s heart could not handle the high altitude. In 2021, Leroy was 94 and Donna was 87 when they decided to move into their new home, The Rose Assisted Living Memory Care Facility in Round Rock, Texas. Donna passed away on July 28, 2021, due to Covid-19 related issues. Leroy continued to live at The Rose until he passed on May 1, 2023.

Leroy is survived by his, daughter Kathy McClendon and her husband Travis, son Robert Moore and his wife Betty and daughter Sherry Jobe and her husband Jay.

Leroy had 8 grandchildren (in alphabetical order): Carlos Jobe, David McClendon, Jennifer Wood, Kenny Copelin, Marc McClendon, Michael Jobe, Nicole McElwain, and Stephanie Fitzpatrick.

Leroy also had 10 great-grandchildren (in alphabetical order): Aidan McClendon, Carina McClendon, Carter McClendon, Darby Mueller, Ella McClendon, Emma Fitzpatrick, Kate Fitzpatrick, Makayla Pierce, Micah Jobe, and Trevor Jobe.

Leroy treasured his family and bragged about them constantly. Leroy was preceded in death by his wife, Donna Moore, and his parents Robert and Lela Moore

A graveside service will be held at 12:00 PM on Saturday, May 13th, 2023 at Cook Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral Home & Memorial Park, 6300 West William Cannon Drive, Austin, TX 78749.