Forever In the Hearts They Leave Behind

Harry William “Bill” Moore

March 28, 1945 – December 25, 2021


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Harry William Moore, 76, known to family, friends, a few foes, and just about everyone else as Bill or Billy Moore, passed away peacefully at home on Christmas Day.

Bill is survived by Billie Ellen Jackson, his wife of 49 years; his two daughters, Amber Dawn Johnson of Phoenix, AZ and Filaree Faith Moore of New York, NY; his brother Gerald Edward Moore, Jr. and sister Eva Wilda Morse; his brothers and sisters-in-law; numerous nieces and nephews; and his and Billie’s beloved dachshund, Izzy.

Bill was born on March 28, 1945 in Dubuque, Iowa to Ruth Tobin. We do not know much about his biological father other than that his last name was Short. Ruth and Bill landed in Upton, Wyoming with her family, including Grandpa Yancy who Bill adored, before settling in Tempe, Arizona when Bill was around 10 years old—give or take a year. Ruth married Gerald Edward Moore, Sr. They had four children together: Henry, Gerald Jr., Charles, and Eva.

In 1962 at just 17 years old, Bill signed himself out of school to become a man on the rivers of Vietnam serving in the U.S. Navy. He hated swimming and was not entirely comfortable in the water, but, during the Vietnam War the Navy seemed like his best bet of returning home in one piece. Although he managed mostly to do so, according to his combat stories, this may have been sheer luck. He always said the first scene in the film the Deer Hunter was a fairly accurate depiction of his early days in Vietnam, patrolling the river, dodging bullets on either side. Bill was honorably discharged in 1965 after serving as a communications specialist, learning Morse Code which he remembered up to the day he died.

Bill came home from Vietnam in 1965 to raise a little Cain on Tempe’s Mill Avenue. He lived with his buddy Bill Mosely in an apartment, which has for many years since been home to the Shoe Mill. He started working as a bar tender at the Hut, and, as fate would have it, met Billie at Taco Bell while visiting a friend who also worked there. He asked her out that very night, and, in 1972 after dating for two years, they got married. Soon after, Amber and then Filaree were born.

In addition to being a doting father and husband, Bill wore many different hats. He owned and operated a used car dealership known as the Garden of Gears on Phoenix’s used car row on Van Buren. In his notorious late night commercials, you would see Bill clad in vibrant Hawaiian shirts and fedoras with tropical hatbands, surrounded by bikini babes and cars—“the cars guys, not the girls”—and known by the moniker “Aloha Bill”.

Bill’s career coaching baseball spanned four decades. In that time, he coached at nearly every level, from high school to college to professional, and at every age group. Beginning in the eighties, he was the hitting coach at McClintock High School and coached in the Connie Mack League in the summertime. His team, who shared the same name as his car dealership, the Garden of Gears, won many league championships and played tournaments throughout the western U.S., including in Farmington, New Mexico each Fourth of July.

In the mid-nineties Bill traded in the fedora of his day job for the ball cap and the almighty glove when he began coaching baseball full time. For the last over twenty years of his life, Bill devoted his energy to his passion. He coached at Mesa Community College, he reinvented the Garden of Gears to play in the Pecos League’s Spring Training, gave hitting lessons to all age groups, brought baseball to Bisbee, AZ, and managed five teams in the Pecos League—an independent professional baseball league. Whether he was volunteering his time coaching Connie Mack or getting paid to manage professional teams in the Pecos League, Bill coached with gusto and an unrivaled enthusiasm for the game.

To say that Bill was a fanatic would be perhaps the biggest understatement of the twenty-first century. In his time coaching baseball, Bill boasted over 1,400 wins as head coach, had at least ten players in the Major Leagues, scouted for several Major League teams, won more championship games than he could count at all levels, was a lifetime member of the Association of Professional Baseball Players of America, and mentored thousands of young men who thought they loved the game—no one ever did or ever will more than he. This year, Bill met a milestone in his life when, just days before his death, he learned that he would be the first person ever inducted into the Pecos League Hall of Fame in March of 2022.

A grave side memorial service will be held at 12pm at Valley of the Sun Cemetery in Chandler, AZ on Monday, January 3, 2022. Due to the surge in Covid-19 cases, there will be no reception. Please feel free to send flowers or, in lieu of flowers, donate to the Arizona Humane Society.

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  1. Jennifer Johnson says:

    Xena, Sean and I will miss you Bill. You were a great man and we cherished all of our moments with you. It was great knowing you. Thank you so much for your friendship that we will all cherish forever. ~Jennifer Johnson

  2. Petra A Rueda says:

    My condolences to you and your family. We had the honor to meet Bill, here in Wasco, CA. He, be came a great friend to my husband, Danny Rueda. My thoughts and prayers. 🙏
    Sincerely, Petra and Victoria Rueda

  3. Ronald S. Trujillo, City Councilor Santa Fe New Mexico says:

    Coach Moore
    Thank you for the wonderful memories you brought to the FUEGO FAITHFUL in Santa Fe, New Mexico during you time here as our coach. I told you that you are now a Santafesino and you broght us the Pecos League Championship in 2014.
    You are forever tied to and part of Santa Fe and its Rich and Proud History.
    Thank you as well for your friendship to my family and I.
    Heaven just got one HELUVA Coach.
    Rest In Peace

  4. Espinoza Kathleen says:

    U will deeply be missed uncle bill love u

  5. Jennifer bodine says:

    We will miss you very much uncle Bill I will watch over mom for u love u always Jennifer

  6. Jeff Rattay says:

    Through baseball, you inspired kids to work hard and overcome adversity… May your soul rest in everlasting peace, coach!

  7. Collins Robinson says:

    To Bill,

    My good friend. My mentor in the game, You were a great coach. Always encouraged me with positive thoughts, and always believed in me. We had a lot planned but never got to see them come to pass. But now I know you can watch me from above now. I promise you I’m gonna get there, and that first hit is gonna be for you. 💯 love ya Coach Moore

    -TGITG

  8. Stacy Howe Venemon says:

    May he Rest In Peace, he’s touched so many people a wonderful man. Bless your family in this time of needed strength.

  9. Sandra Broughton says:

    God be with you Bill. We will always be grateful for the part you played in bringing baseball back to Bakersfield. You will surely be missed.

  10. Ken Gram says:

    So grateful to have known Bill and for the impact he had on my life. One of the greatest people ever. “SOB!!!!”

  11. Channing Brown says:

    Bill,
    My condolences. I won’t forget the conversations and advice that you gave me throughout the years. I really appreciate the time that you gave me and the knowledge. You are a great man and left positive impression on so many lives. You will be miss but not forgot. Rest in peace Coach
    Channing

  12. Ty Marotz says:

    Coach Bill, the impact you’ve had on me and my life have far transcended what goes on between the white lines of the ball field. You are incredibly missed!

  13. Ed says:

    I will always remember you Bill. Sorry I never got you and I and Bill together, but hopefully, that day will still come in its way. To a good man and fellow coach. Love ya, Bill.

  14. Wendy EBENSTEIN Norman says:

    I am just now learning of his death. I want to say I have never given up on looking up his family genealogy. Time goes so fast and I am sorry I lost track of time. But I was and will keep working on our family tree. I know we only had a few phone calls , but you made me smile. Sounded like a lovely person. (SmilingWendy)

  15. Mark Weidemaier says:

    Never met personally but shared many a phone call talking about the game we both loved from my time coaching in or managing in the US or Korea. Had the best voice mail message on his cell I have ever heard. A true classic. Wish I could remember it verbatim. Bill, I came close to meeting you and wished I had. God rest your soul!

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Harry William “Bill” Moore

March 28, 1945 – December 25, 2021


Share Obituary:

Send Flowers Print Obituary

Harry William Moore, 76, known to family, friends, a few foes, and just about everyone else as Bill or Billy Moore, passed away peacefully at home on Christmas Day.

Bill is survived by Billie Ellen Jackson, his wife of 49 years; his two daughters, Amber Dawn Johnson of Phoenix, AZ and Filaree Faith Moore of New York, NY; his brother Gerald Edward Moore, Jr. and sister Eva Wilda Morse; his brothers and sisters-in-law; numerous nieces and nephews; and his and Billie’s beloved dachshund, Izzy.

Bill was born on March 28, 1945 in Dubuque, Iowa to Ruth Tobin. We do not know much about his biological father other than that his last name was Short. Ruth and Bill landed in Upton, Wyoming with her family, including Grandpa Yancy who Bill adored, before settling in Tempe, Arizona when Bill was around 10 years old—give or take a year. Ruth married Gerald Edward Moore, Sr. They had four children together: Henry, Gerald Jr., Charles, and Eva.

In 1962 at just 17 years old, Bill signed himself out of school to become a man on the rivers of Vietnam serving in the U.S. Navy. He hated swimming and was not entirely comfortable in the water, but, during the Vietnam War the Navy seemed like his best bet of returning home in one piece. Although he managed mostly to do so, according to his combat stories, this may have been sheer luck. He always said the first scene in the film the Deer Hunter was a fairly accurate depiction of his early days in Vietnam, patrolling the river, dodging bullets on either side. Bill was honorably discharged in 1965 after serving as a communications specialist, learning Morse Code which he remembered up to the day he died.

Bill came home from Vietnam in 1965 to raise a little Cain on Tempe’s Mill Avenue. He lived with his buddy Bill Mosely in an apartment, which has for many years since been home to the Shoe Mill. He started working as a bar tender at the Hut, and, as fate would have it, met Billie at Taco Bell while visiting a friend who also worked there. He asked her out that very night, and, in 1972 after dating for two years, they got married. Soon after, Amber and then Filaree were born.

In addition to being a doting father and husband, Bill wore many different hats. He owned and operated a used car dealership known as the Garden of Gears on Phoenix’s used car row on Van Buren. In his notorious late night commercials, you would see Bill clad in vibrant Hawaiian shirts and fedoras with tropical hatbands, surrounded by bikini babes and cars—“the cars guys, not the girls”—and known by the moniker “Aloha Bill”.

Bill’s career coaching baseball spanned four decades. In that time, he coached at nearly every level, from high school to college to professional, and at every age group. Beginning in the eighties, he was the hitting coach at McClintock High School and coached in the Connie Mack League in the summertime. His team, who shared the same name as his car dealership, the Garden of Gears, won many league championships and played tournaments throughout the western U.S., including in Farmington, New Mexico each Fourth of July.

In the mid-nineties Bill traded in the fedora of his day job for the ball cap and the almighty glove when he began coaching baseball full time. For the last over twenty years of his life, Bill devoted his energy to his passion. He coached at Mesa Community College, he reinvented the Garden of Gears to play in the Pecos League’s Spring Training, gave hitting lessons to all age groups, brought baseball to Bisbee, AZ, and managed five teams in the Pecos League—an independent professional baseball league. Whether he was volunteering his time coaching Connie Mack or getting paid to manage professional teams in the Pecos League, Bill coached with gusto and an unrivaled enthusiasm for the game.

To say that Bill was a fanatic would be perhaps the biggest understatement of the twenty-first century. In his time coaching baseball, Bill boasted over 1,400 wins as head coach, had at least ten players in the Major Leagues, scouted for several Major League teams, won more championship games than he could count at all levels, was a lifetime member of the Association of Professional Baseball Players of America, and mentored thousands of young men who thought they loved the game—no one ever did or ever will more than he. This year, Bill met a milestone in his life when, just days before his death, he learned that he would be the first person ever inducted into the Pecos League Hall of Fame in March of 2022.

A grave side memorial service will be held at 12pm at Valley of the Sun Cemetery in Chandler, AZ on Monday, January 3, 2022. Due to the surge in Covid-19 cases, there will be no reception. Please feel free to send flowers or, in lieu of flowers, donate to the Arizona Humane Society.

Share Obituary:

Send Flowers Print Obituary
  1. Jennifer Johnson says:

    Xena, Sean and I will miss you Bill. You were a great man and we cherished all of our moments with you. It was great knowing you. Thank you so much for your friendship that we will all cherish forever. ~Jennifer Johnson

  2. Petra A Rueda says:

    My condolences to you and your family. We had the honor to meet Bill, here in Wasco, CA. He, be came a great friend to my husband, Danny Rueda. My thoughts and prayers. 🙏
    Sincerely, Petra and Victoria Rueda

  3. Ronald S. Trujillo, City Councilor Santa Fe New Mexico says:

    Coach Moore
    Thank you for the wonderful memories you brought to the FUEGO FAITHFUL in Santa Fe, New Mexico during you time here as our coach. I told you that you are now a Santafesino and you broght us the Pecos League Championship in 2014.
    You are forever tied to and part of Santa Fe and its Rich and Proud History.
    Thank you as well for your friendship to my family and I.
    Heaven just got one HELUVA Coach.
    Rest In Peace

  4. Espinoza Kathleen says:

    U will deeply be missed uncle bill love u

  5. Jennifer bodine says:

    We will miss you very much uncle Bill I will watch over mom for u love u always Jennifer

  6. Jeff Rattay says:

    Through baseball, you inspired kids to work hard and overcome adversity… May your soul rest in everlasting peace, coach!

  7. Collins Robinson says:

    To Bill,

    My good friend. My mentor in the game, You were a great coach. Always encouraged me with positive thoughts, and always believed in me. We had a lot planned but never got to see them come to pass. But now I know you can watch me from above now. I promise you I’m gonna get there, and that first hit is gonna be for you. 💯 love ya Coach Moore

    -TGITG

  8. Stacy Howe Venemon says:

    May he Rest In Peace, he’s touched so many people a wonderful man. Bless your family in this time of needed strength.

  9. Sandra Broughton says:

    God be with you Bill. We will always be grateful for the part you played in bringing baseball back to Bakersfield. You will surely be missed.

  10. Ken Gram says:

    So grateful to have known Bill and for the impact he had on my life. One of the greatest people ever. “SOB!!!!”

  11. Channing Brown says:

    Bill,
    My condolences. I won’t forget the conversations and advice that you gave me throughout the years. I really appreciate the time that you gave me and the knowledge. You are a great man and left positive impression on so many lives. You will be miss but not forgot. Rest in peace Coach
    Channing

  12. Ty Marotz says:

    Coach Bill, the impact you’ve had on me and my life have far transcended what goes on between the white lines of the ball field. You are incredibly missed!

  13. Ed says:

    I will always remember you Bill. Sorry I never got you and I and Bill together, but hopefully, that day will still come in its way. To a good man and fellow coach. Love ya, Bill.

  14. Wendy EBENSTEIN Norman says:

    I am just now learning of his death. I want to say I have never given up on looking up his family genealogy. Time goes so fast and I am sorry I lost track of time. But I was and will keep working on our family tree. I know we only had a few phone calls , but you made me smile. Sounded like a lovely person. (SmilingWendy)

  15. Mark Weidemaier says:

    Never met personally but shared many a phone call talking about the game we both loved from my time coaching in or managing in the US or Korea. Had the best voice mail message on his cell I have ever heard. A true classic. Wish I could remember it verbatim. Bill, I came close to meeting you and wished I had. God rest your soul!