Obituary: Carl Moore, 1934-2024 

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• Courtesy
• Carl Moore

Carl Moore, of South Burlington, passed away on March 17, 2024, at the McClure Miller Respite House, after a brief illness.

Born in Hudson, N.Y., Carl was educated in the Hudson Public Schools, where he also captained the tennis team. He received both his BA and MA from Rutgers University, studying American history and journalism. After graduation he worked as an assistant to the president and taught at Monmouth Community College.

While a student at Rutgers, Carl loved the proximity to New York City, and on Saturdays, he would take the train into the city to see a matinee, have a cocktail and listen to all kinds of music in the evening. He adored the theater and later acted himself with a local group. He walked all over the city, immersing himself in its sights and history. He married Patricia Moore and had two sons, William and Thomas; three granddaughters and four grandchildren were added to the family over the years.

Carl’s love of words led him through journalism to work as a reporter for a local newspaper and then as editor. He moved on to work as a journalist for UPI, covering the New Jersey state house, where he came to the attention of legislators. He became a staff member to a nonpartisan committee supporting the legislature and was then tapped by the governor to lead the group charged with rewriting the laws and the plan for developing community services for the mentally ill. He ended his career working for ten years at the Law Project, a nonprofit providing legal services to the elderly and disabled, where he was director of development. While there he hosted a weekly cable television program and interviewed advocates and providers for the disability community, while expanding knowledge of topics that were not widely understood or accepted.

Carl and Pat divorced after 20 years of marriage, and he spent the next 20 years with a companion who shared and supported their common interests. Together they traveled extensively in Europe, immersed themselves in the rich cultural life of the city and the Berkshires, and created a large and strong circle of friends. Carl became a good cook and baker and delighted in entertaining.

In 1996 Carl relocated to Mendon, Mass., and married Susan Darnell two years later. Settling into a new family and community, he volunteered on the governing board of the UU church, at the ACLU in Boston and on several committees at the local hospital. His greatest satisfaction was the establishment of a monthly poetry group that became a community fixture. When not volunteering, he built a library of some thousand books, primarily history and commentary and, above all, poetry. He also curated a substantial music collection. These collections followed him in 2015, when he and Susan relocated to South Burlington, where he became a founding member of the South Village ROMEO’S.

Anyone who knew Carl would immediately think of two things: his quick wit and the immensity of his mind. He cared passionately about politics, justice and the efforts of good government, but he would not turn away from those who held different views.

He leaves his brother, Robert Moore, of R.I.; sons William in Kentucky and Thomas in Washington; granddaughters Brandi in Virginia, Shannon and Ashley in Kentucky, and four great-grandchildren. He also leaves his wife, Susan; Heather and Ian Durrell of the United Kingdom; and Elise and Tyrone Bellitti in Massachusetts.

A celebration of life will be held in the spring.