You’d be hard-pressed to find a bigger aviation/space enthusiast than Bill Moore. At the age of nine, he begged his mom to let him stay up to see the Moon landing on TV with Walter Cronkite. In January 1971, he launched his own model rocket in Barstow, California, to travel along with the Apollo 14 liftoff. We still have the autographed letter and picture from Alan Shepard thanking him for his interest in the space program. When our kids were in elementary school, their teachers always requested him to chaperone field trips to Kennedy Space Center. His knowledge of mission crews, their payloads, and other fun facts was both vast and remarkable.
If you were lucky enough to know Bill as a co-worker, then you know he pursued every program and project with a relentless drive for excellence and innovation. In over 40 years in the aerospace industry, he was an amazing mentor, a trusted colleague, and just really damn good at his job. He was so proud of his work at Northrop Grumman - not just their technical achievements but their focus on diversity and inclusion.
If you were lucky enough to know Bill as a friend, then you know that, as smart as he was, he was also goofy as hell. He made a mean margarita and danced to Earth, Wind & Fire like nobody was watching. He could recite entire episodes of The Ren & Stimpy Show but also quote Richard Feynman with equal accuracy and enthusiasm.
If you were lucky enough to know Bill as a husband, dad, brother, or uncle, then you knew his love for his family was fierce and boundless. From the base camp of Everest with Jack to the bike trails of Bryce Canyon to Zion with Zoe to diving the reefs off West Palm Beach with Natalie, he never stopped exploring and never stopped learning. He became a notary so he could officiate our niece Noelle’s wedding, and he was so honored by the role. He practiced his speech and timing for hours on end, making us all so proud.
Because he never took himself too seriously, his flight capsule will be inscribed with one of his favorite phrases: Open the pod bay doors, HAL. The next time you look up at the night sky and see a spectacularly bright star, it’s Bill. Raise a glass or say a prayer, but however you choose to honor him, just know you’re likely to be a better person because you knew him.
