Thomas Moore Obituary, Death – Thomas Henry Moore, Jr., 83, died on March 11, 2023, at ECU Health in Greenville. He was born in Richmond, Virginia on December 17, 1939, as the sole son of the late Thomas Henry and Anna Janice Warren Moore. Rev. Steve Johnson will officiate in a graveside service at Coastal Carolina State Veterans Cemetery, 110 Montford Point Rd., Jacksonville, NC 28540, on Monday, March 20, 2023, at 12:00 noon. A memorial service will be organized at a later date.
Tom graduated from Mineral Springs High School in Winston-Salem, NC in 1958 and was named Forsyth County’s most valuable football player by the Thom McAn award. He served two tours in Vietnam during his USMC service. He was stationed in Hawaii with the 2nd Battalion 4th Regiment when he was dispatched to Vietnam in 1965, and he was part of the first regimental-sized combat for American forces since the Korean War: Operation Starlight. During his second tour, 1968-1969, he led the squad that provided security for the commander of the 1st Marine Division.
He was Company Gunny for H&S 1st BN 2nd Marine Division and Acting First Sgt under Jim Battaglini (later Maj Gen) at Camp Lejeune in 1977-79, where he was awarded a plaque for being the finest H&S Co Gunny in the 1st Marine Division. He was selected St. Louis Region Recruiter of the Year and represented the Marines in All Armed Forces Racquetball. He enjoyed music, thus his favorite duty station was Treasure Island in San Francisco during the Summer of Love in 1968, where he served as an Armed Forces Police officer and worked at all of the big-name concerts of the time.
He was such a loyal customer of Padgett Toyota when he retired that Mr. Padgett offered him a job. This resulted in a 32-year career that made him a legend, and the business was purchased by Johnny Stevenson. He was rewarded with lifelong friendships with customers and employees, as well as several trips to Southeastern Toyota For dinners, where he experienced treats like cruising on Mr. Moran’s yacht. Given his diminishing health, he relished the assistance of his beautiful Bear Creek neighbors, as well as the view of the water and ospreys.
His final helicopter journey was from Naval Regional Medical Center, which cared for him to the best of their ability, to ECU, where his life had been saved once before. He fought back many times through years of different ailments, many of which were Agent Orange linked, but eventually died to the whole toll. His wife and high school sweetheart, Dr. Brenda Johnson of the home, and a sister, Deborah Moore of Green Acres, FL, survive him.