Howard "Mack" Moore

Mack Moore passed away Sunday, February 7, 2010. While the loss of Mack seems unbearable to all who knew and loved him, we will now begin to focus on the joy and happiness that Mack brought to the world.

To know Mack was to love Mack. He exuded a zeal for life that few people do. He had a way of making people feel comfortable and welcome in any situation. There has never been a time when you didn't leave Mack's presence feeling better about life.

Mack lived his faith, always willing to help anyone in any way he could and looking hard for the good in all people. He was aided in his outlook on life by his loving companion of sixty years, Betty. Through any kind of contact with Mack and Betty, their complete devotion and love for each other was the first thing that was noticed. Their marriage and life together serves as a model for us all.

At the age of seventeen, Mack left Neon, Kentucky, bound for Kingsport, where he landed a job with the Kingsport Press. Shortly thereafter, his country called, and he proudly served in the South Pacific theatre during World War II. His humility didn't allow him to discuss his service in detail, but he was directly involved in the defense of our great country while stationed in the Philippines and the outlying areas of Japan.

Upon his return from the war, Mack continued a career with the Kingsport Press that spanned the next forty-four years. Well known throughout the printing industry as a book binding expert, he held various supervisory and management positions at the Kingsport plant. When the company decided to expand and build the Hawkins County plant, they called upon Mack and a selected group of managers to start up the operation. At Hawkins, he finished his working career as Manager of Bindery Operations, and in later years he used his vast knowledge of the business as he traveled the country and the world solving book-binding problems.

Upon his retirement, Mack started his second career as a Golf Ranger at Warriors' Path State Park. For seventeen years, he made friends with all those he came in contact with and developed a close, lasting friendship with a group of guys with whom he played golf three days a week.

Mack was an athlete in his younger days and a fan of all things sports-related in later years. His particular passions were his golf outings, fishing on the coast of South Carolina, and supporting the UT Vols and the Dobyns-Bennett Indians.

Mack was a simple, gentle man who required little to be happy in life. His attitude and spirit bridged age, gender, and race. He was respectful to all he encountered and truly had a gift for making all those around him better for having known him.

Mack loved his family, his friends, and the Lord, and this love showed through every day of his life. We are all better people for having been blessed with him in our lives.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Everett and Mary Moore; two brothers, Bob Moore and Elmer Moore; and three sisters, Ruby Harlow, Reba Bryant, and Edith Johnson.

Mack is survived by his loving wife, Betty; son and daughter-in-law, Mack and Carolyn Moore and their children, Tucker, Tyler and his wife Lynn, and Hannah; daughter and son-in-law, Betsy and Fred Cooper and their children, Annie and Abbie. He also leaves behind a network of nieces and nephews and extended family that will miss him dearly.

God bless Mack Moore, and praise God for the time he was with us.

A private entombment service will be held on Thursday in Oak Hill Memorial Park. Active pallbearers will be Tim Taylor, David Lane, Danny Karst, Tucker Moore, Tyler Moore, and Rodney Burton. Honorary pallbearers will be the Golf Rangers from Warriors' Path.

The family will receive friends on Thursday from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at First Broad Street United Methodist Church. A memorial service will follow at 6:30 p.m. with Rev. Dr. A. Clark Jenkins officiating.

Memorial contributions may be made to First Broad Street United Methodist Church; c/o Missions Fund; P.O. Box 1346; Kingsport, TN 37662.