Frank Moore, legendary World War II veteran, fly fisherman and champion of the North Umpqua River, died Sunday, just a week before he would have had his 99th birthday.
Family members confirmed Moore's death Monday, saying he died at home surrounded by family Sunday evening.
Moore is survived by his wife of 79 years Jeanne Moore and three of his four children.
Frank and Jeanne were on New Year's Day 1943, shortly before he left to serve in World War II. He was devoted to Jeanne, and quick to credit his many achievements and accolades to her.
Moore was a 21-year-old sergeant when he landed on Utah Beach during the D-Day invasion. He went on to fight in France, Luxembourg and Germany.
He fought in the Battle of the Bulge and helped liberate the small village of Savigne Sur Lathan in Central France.
He would later be presented with the French Legion d'Honneur.
"He was bigger than life," said former Douglas County Veterans Forum President Jim Little. "He was just a giant in our community."
He recalled that Moore had been loved by those in the veteran community as well as the schoolchildren who learned about his wartime experiences on Living History Days.
He was always gracious, always smiling and you had to prepare yourself for his big bear hugs, Little said.
"This is quite a blow to our community. You mention Frank Moore and everybody knows who you're talking about," he said.
Moore suffered from what would now be called post-traumatic stress disorder after the war, his sons and daughter said, and found solace in fly fishing.
He fell in love with the North Umpqua River and devoted much of his life to protecting it and the steelhead he fished for.
Karl Konecny of The Steamboaters said he first met Moore in the 1980s, fishing on the river.
"To watch him fish was just a gift. I mean literally what he could do with a fly rod and a line and that was just amazing," he said.
He said the Moores were the most welcoming, friendly couple he'd ever met. And the work he's done to save the river is an inspiration, he said.
The Steamboaters formed 50 years ago as a group of fly anglers dedicated to preserving and protecting the river's steelhead and promote ethical fly angling.
"If it wasn't for him, this would have been a very different place," he said.
Moore was instrumental in the creation and passage of the Oregon Forest Practices Act and the protection of what's now the Frank and Jeanne Moore Wild Steelhead Management Area, a 100,000 acre stretch along the North Umpqua.
The Oregon Forest Practices Act requires that trees be left as buffers around fish-bearing streams, to keep the water from growing too hot for the fish.
It was passed after Moore made the short documentary "Pass Creek" about the harm done by Bureau of Land Management clear-cutting at Pass Creek.
The Moores also bought the Steamboat Inn in 1957 and operated it for many years.
Frank Moore built the log cabin in which they lived before it was destroyed in the Archie Creek Fire.
His characteristic optimism and love for Jeanne were reflected in his comment after they lost their home and moved in with their daughter. He said the important thing was that Jeanne was with him.
"I have the treasure with me. That's my treasure," he said.
The Moores had four children. One, Linda Moore, died tragically in a car accident at the age of 21. The other three — Frankie Moore, Colleen Bechtel and Dennis Moore — remembered their father as a terrific parent as well as a man whose accomplishments were immeasurable.
"He was the best father a person could ever have. He was amazing," Frankie Moore said.
Growing up, he went everywhere with his dad.
"Frankie caught his first steelhead at the age of 5, sitting on Dad's shoulders," Bechtel said.
Frankie Moore said his dad never went on to college after high school, but nonetheless became one of the most knowledgeable people he's ever known. He never stopped learning.
Frank and Jeanne met when Frank Moore visited Canby High School, where he had graduated and Jeanne was a student. Frank had been a state champion baritone in high school, and the music teacher had him sing for the class, Bechtel said.
After moving to Roseburg he gave many solo performances in "The Messiah."
"Some of my earliest memories are sitting on Dad's lap during rehearsals for 'The Messiah,'" Bechtel said.
Moore also loved wrestling and pushed for the creation of the Roseburg High School wrestling team.
When he got out of the Army, Moore thought about going back to college and becoming a teacher, because he wanted to coach, Bechtel said.
But he changed his mind "because he didn't want to work for somebody else," Frankie Moore said. So he decided to go into business.
He decided to move to Idleyld Park during a drive up to Glide.
"The buttercups were out and the fields were just totally yellow, with green grass everywhere, and he said that was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen and he knew this was where he wanted to live," Frankie Moore said.
He caught his first steelhead while fishing for trout at at Baker Park near Rock Creek, and he was hooked.
When they owned Moore's Cafe, Frank Moore spent more time up on the North Umpqua than he did in Roseburg. So much time that the waitresses at the cafe once placed this classified ad in The News-Review: "Lost: One owner and manager of Moore's Cafe. Last seen up the North Umpqua River."
Moore's love for fly fishing led to his induction into the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame in 2010. He received the International Federation of Fly Fishers Conservationist of the Year Award in 2003, and was named Oregon Wildlife Federation Conservationist of the Year in 1969.
U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Springfield, said he was deeply saddened by the news of Moore's death.
He called him "one of the foremost conservationists in our state's history" and said his contributions to the state were monumental.
DeFazio said he was proud to have worked with Moore on protecting 100,000 acres of the Steamboat Creek watershed for steelhead preservation.
"The Special Management Area will forever bear his name, and we will honor his work to conserve our natural world for generations. Rest in peace, Frank,” DeFazio said in a statement.
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden also expressed sadness at Moore's passing.
"Oregonians will always have Frank and his wife Jeanne to thank for translating their love of the North Umpqua River into a lifetime of dedication to preserving this national treasure for all," Wyden said on Twitter.
Konecny said Moore truly lived a full life.
"He used his time well, serving his country, serving his wife, serving his family and serving all of us with his love of nature and this area," he said.
The full story of Moore's life, including the memories of those who loved and were inspired by him, will be in Tuesday's paper.
More to come online.
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