Merrill K. Moore

Merrill K. Moore, 91, of Jeffersonville, Indiana, and Fort Myers, Florida, passed away on Friday, January 26, 2024, at his home in Florida. He was born to Earl and Nora Moore (Cain) on May 26, 1932, in Paragon, Indiana.

Merrill was preceded in death by a young daughter, Kimberly; his sister, Wahanita Morris; his brother, Wendell Moore; and his parents.

He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Marilyn; his daughter, Belinda Moore, of Dacula, Georgia; step-sons David West Reynolds (Khin) New Albany, Indiana, and Michael E Reynolds (Nikoletta) Sebastian, Florida; granddaughter, Erica Lee (Michael) Dacula, Georgia; step-granddaughter, Isabella Reynolds; and great-grandchildren Warren and Margo Lee.

Merrill’s father was a Pentecostal pastor. The family’s summer vacations were spent at a week of revival at Gospel of the Kingdom Campground in Shepherdsville, Kentucky, where Merrill found he loved selling soft drinks in the lunch stand. From then on he wanted to be in the grocery business. He hounded the neighborhood Kroger store manager to give him a job and was told, “The day you turn 16, I’ll put an apron on you and hire you.” On his sixteenth birthday, he duly began his successful 60-year career as a groceryman.

He worked his way up steadily, becoming Produce and then Store Manager at Kroger and then Stop and Shop grocery stores. By 1962 Merrill was ready to run his own show, and he went into a partnership with Vince Beyer to own their own Convenient Food Mart. The partnership eventually owned and managed multiple Convenient Food Marts and later Better Way Food Marts at various locations in New Albany, Indiana, and Louisville, Kentucky. They retired in 2007.

Merrill thoroughly enjoyed his business, was a skillful manager, and greeted his customers with a smile. He liked to spend his leisure time on the waters of the Ohio with boating friends and had a winter residence in Florida. For his family, Merrill was everything that a fine man can be. He was loved, admired, and treasured, and he will be dearly missed.

Visitation for Merrill is planned for Monday, February 5, from 11 AM to 1 PM at Kraft Funeral Service, 708 East Spring Street, New Albany, Indiana 47150.

The funeral will follow the visitation at 1 PM at the funeral home. Interment will follow at Resthaven Memorial Park, 4400 Bardstown Road, Louisville, Kentucky 40218.

Afterward, everyone is invited to the Moore home at 30 Arctic Springs, Jeffersonville, Indiana 47130, for light refreshments. In lieu of flowers, a donation to Gospel of the Kingdom Campground, 141 Mount Elmira Road, Shepherdsville, KY 40165, would be a fitting tribute to Merrill, who was sustained all his life by the faith his father preached there.