Harold Kenneth Moore

On March 28, 1923, the youngest of their four children, Harold Kenneth Moore, was born to Percy Franklin Moore and Margaret Hilda Smith Moore in Brooklyn, New York. Harold attended the public schools in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. As a youngster, Harold was an enthusiastic athlete. He was a swimmer and participated on the track team, qualifying for regional events. On June 23, 1943, he joined the United States Army, serving in Northern France, Rhineland, and the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater. He earned a Good Conduct Medal and a World War II Victory Medal. His service concluded honorably on November 2, 1945, at Camp Livingston, Louisiana,1313th Engineers Camp. Subsequently, he returned to New York to graduate from the Central Evening High School with a diploma of proficiency in scholarship and integrity of character, meriting graduation in June 1946.

After his army service, Harold went to work for the State of New Jersey in its Office of Dependency Benefits (ODB) in Newark. While working as the manager of the ODB Typist Division, Harold happened to be the supervisor of an attractive Voorhees Junior College graduate from Denmark, South Carolina named Vertell Murdis Ray. He asked Vertell for a date and, after a fantastic courtship, Harold and Vertell were married on July 6, 1947, in Newark. From their union, a daughter, Cheryl Bernadette Moore, and, a son, Dennis Harold Moore, were born.

Harold studied engineering at the Pratt Institute Evening School of Science and Technology in Brooklyn, New York. He completed coursework in mathematics and mechanical drafting and was two courses shy of earning a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering. However, he made the difficult decision to end his studies after the Institute repeatedly canceled the courses that he needed due to insufficient enrollment, and that time he desired to shift his focus to raising his family.

Based on his knowledge and acquired skills, Harold soon became employed at the U.S. Naval Shipyard in Brooklyn, New York as an Equipment Specialist. Additionally, Harold also drove the Linden Boulevard trolly. Harold’s work hours were demanding, however, he spent special time with his family, attending Calvary Baptist Church where he was baptized. Harold loved taking his children to the Thanksgiving Day Macy’s Parade every year, camping with the family in the Catskill Mountains, and teaching them to ice skate in Baisley Park near their home when the lake froze.

When the Brooklyn Naval Yard was deactivated, Harold began working at the Philadelphia Naval Yard and moved his family to nearby Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Here he worked with the Material Division in the PERA o]ice of the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard until the late 1980’s. In New Jersey, the family joined Kings Community Baptist Church where he served as a treasurer and joined his family in Sunday School and other church activities. His hobbies included photography and developing film in his dark room, wood carving and setting up tropical and exotic aquariums, filling the house with wood-carved products of his work, and keeping the pet cat away from the fish in his aquariums. During this time Harold and his wife watched their daughter and son complete their high school education and go off to colleges at Boston University (Cheryl) and Hampton University (Dennis).

Although Cheryl and Dennis remained close to their parents, Cheryl moved upon graduation and marriage to California and then to Texas. Dennis moved a year later to be near his sister, Cheryl, and her husband, physicist and astronaut Ronald McNair, and their family. Harold and Vertell visited Texas frequently to spend holidays, birthdays, and other special occasions with their children and grandchildren. During Ronald’s space shuttle launches, Harold and Vertell were very instrumental in assisting with care for Cheryl and Ronald’s children during the launches and after. Harold held Joy and watched Reginald along with Cheryl as all observed the space shuttle carrying their loved one, Ronald launch.

Harold and Vertell were active members at Kings Community Baptist Church for forty-three years until Vertell’s passing on March 6, 2009, months after celebrating their sixty-first wedding anniversary the previous July. Shortly after Vertell’s passing, Harold was persuaded to move to Houston which allowed him to be close to his family that now included grandchildren, Reginald, Joy, and Daniel who doted upon their grandfather. He enjoyed sharing family stories when they celebrated birthdays, graduations, and holidays and was comforted by their presence at the sudden loss of his beloved son, Dennis Harold Moore, on July 23, 2016. Harold’s faith in God and the supportive membership of the One Movement Bible Church (formerly Bible Way Fellowship Baptist Church) carried him through this devastating loss as he prayed for strength with his Church family and loved ones. Harold loved worshipping at One Movement and was grateful for his church members who visited him and assisted with transportation to ensure he attended church, received communion, and remained aware and involved in the church activities.

On Saturday, May 4, 2024, Harold was welcomed into the sheltering arms of the God he served to join his beloved wife, Vertell, son, Dennis, son-in-law, Ronald, siblings, Juanita Thompson, Yvonne Moore-McGee, Johnny Moore, and a host of other family members and friends in eternal life. He leaves to cherish his memories his loving daughter, Cheryl Moore McNair, grandson, Reginald Erwin McNair, granddaughter, Joy Cheray McNair, grandson, Daniel Mark Moore, great-granddaughter, Zendaya Amara Omni McNair, and an abundance of loving relatives and friends.