Alton William Moore

Captain Alton William Moore, U.S. Army, Ret., 104, died peacefully at Hickory Hill Retirement Community on December 27, 2018. Born February 6, 1914 in Mineola, Texas, one of 8 children to Flossie Mae (Ratley) and William Thomas Moore, his family moved by covered wagon to Shawnee, OK when his father accepted a job as US Marshal there.

As a high school student, he spent summers at the Citizens Military Training Camp at Fort Sill, OK, and upon graduation enlisted in the US Army Field Artillery at Fort Sill, and later joined the 82nd Airborne Division. Unable to join his comrades in the D Day Invasion of France on June 6, 1944, due to an injury sustained during parachute training in England, he arrived in France on June 9th, assigned to General Patton’s Third Army. After the war and a brief R&R in the US, he was stationed in Salzburg, Austria to assist in the reconstruction of the city and it was there that a spunky redhead assigned to the US Foreign Service Office caught his eye. He married Shirley Miller in Salzburg and together they raised two children, Carolyn Ann and William Thomas. In 1957, after a distinguished 24 year career in the US Army, he and his family settled in Alexandria, VA, where he worked for 20 years in property management in Washington, DC. Following the death of Shirley in 1986, he moved to Litchfield Park, AZ, when he married Betty Massey in 1987 and lived there until his return to Charlottesville in 2006, to be closer to his children and grandchildren.

A master storyteller, Alton enthralled his family and acquaintances with stories of his upbringing and WWII experiences. Proud of his military background, he always sported his “WWII Veteran” cap and struck up a conversation, wherever he traveled, with anyone he identified as having served in the US military.

He was predeceased by his first wife Shirley, his second wife Betty Massey, his daughter Carolyn and son-in-law, Mike Wolf, his brothers Lonnie and Alvin, sisters Clara, Opal, Tishie, and Ethel and his Rosewood Village sweetheart, Barbara Weisser. He is survived by his sister Ferne Ralls, son Tom (Sylvie), and his arm-wrestling opponents: granddaughters Caroline Matney (Ben), Karen Engelhard (Matt), and grandsons Daniel Moore (Kristin) and Evan Moore (Elizabeth), and 7 great-grandchildren: Mackenzie Matney, Kali Matney, Madeleine Moore, Jon Moore, Susannah Moore, Lucy Moore, and Joanna Engelhard.

The family is grateful for the loving care provided by Hickory Hill and Hospice of Virginia. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to: Hickory Hill Activity Fund, 900 Cary Shop Road, Burkeville, VA 23922 or to Hospice of Virginia, 202 Clark Street, Farmville, VA 23901

Burial with full military honors will be at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.