Charles "Mel" Melvin Moore

Mel was born on June 25th, 1930, in Wichita, Kansas to Charles Foster Moore and Gertrude Maude (Mullen) Moore. Mel's parents met while working at a Swift meat processing plant in Wichita, KS.

Mel, with his 2 brothers Dean and Jack, lived with his parents in Wichita, KS for a time before moving to Dodge City, KS. Then the family moved to Missouri where they could get cheap land with Charles Foster’s Spanish-American War pension. This lasted for a while and Gertrude told of some hair-raising experiences like clearing the land of timber, Mel’s’ Mom was a mid-wife for many of the neighbors. Then there was a Big Event, it even made the national news, a terrible flood that practically washed them away, complicated with subzero freezing temperature. That was the final blow because it wasn’t long after this that they moved to LeRoy, Kansas.

They settled in a little house that had a nice big garden plot with it. That was heaven for the new family, with all the kids (Dean, Jack, and Mel) they had a gorgeous garden and Gertrude canned a lot of it. Of all things, they planted, raised, and harvested peanuts while in Kansas.

They lived there for 2 to 3 years and then moved to Burlington, Kansas. Charles Foster did carpenter work there. Eventually Mel and his family found their way to Sunnyside, WA. at the beckoning of an aunt and uncle.

Dad/Mel attended Sunnyside High School until he joined the service. He made his way to Seattle and enlisted in the Navy in Dec. of 1946. After completing Aviation Boatswain and Fundamentals School his tour of duty mainly was aboard the aircraft carrier USS TARAWA (CV-40). Upon being Honorably Discharged on April 5th, 1950, at Norfolk, Virginia Dad proceeded to hitchhike across the country back to Sunnyside, WA.

Dad married Lois Benita Gee on December 9th at his in-law’s house in Sunnyside, WA. Dad met Mom in the late summer of 1950 at a Grange Hall dance west of Sunnyside, and they were married 3-4 months later, on December 9th, 1950. They had a beautiful marriage that lasted for 71 years, until Mom’s passing in February of 2022.

Dad and Mom lived in Sunnyside, WA, Tillamook, OR, and Portland, OR. Upon arriving back in Sunnyside, they soon bought a place near Gleed, WA in 1964, where Dad and Mom raised their 3 kids, and resided throughout their life.

Dad worked for Pacific Power and Light Co. for 38 years with the better part of his career serving as a highline patrolman based out of Yakima, WA. Towards the end of his career with PP&L, Dad developed and received a Patent for a solar powered strobe light (aircraft warning related). Upon retiring from PP&L he owned and operated his own business, Pacific Solar Tech Inc, which allowed him to be hired back as an Inspector for PP&L on various construction jobs in WA. and OR. With his business, Dad sold and installed solar powered lighting systems for homes/cabins and motor homes.

Dad was active in several organizations and clubs, belonging to Naches Lodge #211, Scottish Rite, Shriners, and Eastern Star. He was Secretary of the Lodge for six years and Treasurer for five years. He was also very active in the Boy Scouts of America and was on the Camp Committee at Camp Fife (Goose Prairie) for 31 years.

Dad volunteered at Camp Fife running and maintaining the 40KW and 60KW generators. Dad developed a Pelton waterwheel electrical generating system to supplement the diesel generators for Camp Fife, he also received the Silver Beaver Award in 1981.

Dad’s hobbies included wine making, hunting, fishing, and snowmobiling at the Bumping Lake cabin. For many years, Dad maintained 110 colonies of bees that he put out for pollination in local orchards and then harvesting the honey in late summer.

In the mid 90’s Dad and Mom bought an RV and enjoyed traveling along with their good friends Jerry and Johnny in their RV, to Arizona several times and to Alaska a couple of times. They brought home from Alaska lots of halibut and cod that was canned at their home in Gleed.

Dad (especially) and Mom spent a lot of time at the cabin on Bumping Lake. Family & friends gathered often for barbeques, boating, hunting, work projects, and snowmobiling. Dad and Mom had lifelong friendships with folks at both the Lake and at Goose Prairie. Dad was often found helping others with deck and roofing projects and the like.

Dad is survived by his daughter Paula (James) Eccleston and son Bryan, son Ronald Moore, daughter in-law Rexine Moore and children Jonathan (Amberlee), and Jason (Rosa). He is also survived by nine great grandchildren, Holland, Delaney, Jonas, Malachi, Josiah, Selah Moore, and Elias, Abel, and Ayla Eccleston, and two step grandchildren, Jordan (Kayla) and Josephine (Derek) Berkey, six great great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his loving wife Lois, son David, brothers Dean (Agnes) and Jack (Betty), brother Lonnie (LaVerne) Bedwell, sister Eva (Everett) Nelson, brother Burt (LaVerne) Brown, granddaughter Brittany Eccleston.

There will be a time of visitation Friday, April 12th, from 4:00 PM to 7:30 PM at Keith and Keith Funeral Home, 902 W. Yakima Ave., Yakima. A Graveside Service is planned for Saturday, April 13th, 2024, at 10:00 AM, at West Hills Memorial Park, 11800 Douglas Rd. Yakima. The reception following the Graveside Service will be at the Comfort Suites, located at 3702 Fruitvale Blvd, Yakima, from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.keithandkeith.com for the Moore family.