James Love Moore

January 26, 1938 – August 2, 2025

James Love "Jim" Moore passed into Glory on Saturday, August 2, after a brief decline in health.  At his side was his dear bride, Elizabeth Bartling "Betty" Moore, comforting him and encouraging him as he crossed over, having loved each other beautifully and faithfully for over 65 years (and maybe closer to 77 years if you count their romance in the 5th grade, which most agree should be counted). Jim's life was full and beautiful, and those of us who remain stand together with heavy hearts grieving our loss, but also just so thankful to have shared in his life as wife, brother, sons, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nephews, nieces, cousins and friends. It is rare to know when one is in the presence of something profoundly great, but we knew it, and we treasure this with humility and gratefulness.

Jim was born in Jackson, MS on January 26, 1938, to William Alvin Moore and Eloise Love Moore, who lived on Greymont St. near the corner of Poplar Blvd. – an area that produced so many fine young men in the 1930's and 40's that it would be difficult to compile a list. His father died in 1940 when Jim was two years old – an event that shaped his entire life, and makes even more remarkable the ease with which he became a gentle, loving, steady father, having had no earthly experience himself. In 5th grade he asked his future wife to be his girlfriend, and she said yes. When you know, you know – and they knew.

After graduating from Murrah High School in 1956, Jim attended Georgia Tech (same as his dad – both were GT grads) with a degree in Electrical Engineering on a Naval ROTC scholarship, and in his college summers toured the world on a US Navy destroyer-class ship. During this time he and Betty continued to date (after a break during High School apparently) and write letters and dream. Upon graduation in June of 1960 Jim and Betty married on a Tuesday night at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, as he had to report to US Marine Basic Training at Quantico, VA the next week. After a quick honeymoon trip to The Grand Hotel at Point Clear, AL they moved to Virginia, where Betty taught school and Jim trained to be a Marine. He continued to do the regular US Marine morning exercise regimen every morning of his life until his mid-80's (pushups, sit-ups, jumping jacks, etc.).

In spring of 1961 Jim received his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the US Marine Corps (1st Battalion 4th Marines) and served until late spring of 1964 at the Marine Corps Base in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. During this time the Lord blessed them with the birth of their first son, James Love "Jimmy" Moore, Jr. After completing his time with the Marines, Jim and Betty moved back to Mississippi, where he began a long career with Mississippi Power & Light Company (now Entergy), and the Lord blessed them with another son in 1965 – William McNeill "Bill" Moore – and another in 1970 – Cooper Bufkin Moore.

Jim rose through the ranks of the power company and retired as a Vice President (same title as his father years before) in the very office that his father had in the 1930's. It was during these years (starting around 1973 when they moved back to Jackson with MP&L to be Director of the Central Division) that the Lord began to work in a more visible way in their lives, and they became involved in a weekly Bible Study in their home on Southwood Road with fellow church members from First Presbyterian Church, where he served as an Elder for over 40 years. These were beautiful days and an important, shaping time in their life.

During this time Jim was asked to be on the board of Reformed Theological Seminary, eventually becoming chairman for several years. He also served on the board of African Bible College, and was chairman of the Eudora Welty Foundation at its inception. He freely gave his time and his life to things that were eternal in nature – the seminary, the church, and his family.  As he aged it became clear that he had made wise choices in all of this, and that he had been able to keep the main thing the main thing, and we, his family, were the beneficiaries.

As his children we experienced the beauty of having a dad who was steady, and faithful, and full of love. He was always there, always gentle, always kind, never controlling, never lost his temper at us – not even once. Growing up, his sons saw him reading Scripture and praying every morning as they woke up and walked down the hall to take a shower – EVERY morning, without fail. He wasn't a great athlete (our grandfather was an SEC quarterback so that is kind of a tough spot to be thrust into as a new dad!) but he coached our little league teams like a pro. He cooked bargain Food Club-brand hot dogs on the grill EVERY Saturday for lunch, and they tasted expensive. He didn't say a lot of fluffy things – he quietly sat in his chair every night after cleaning the kitchen after supper (he did this every night – wiped the table, put the dishes in the dishwasher, etc., because, I wonder, maybe that's what he thought his dad did, and he honored our mom who taught pre-school and cooked every meal, and he knew that real love meant jumping in to help) and smoked his pipe, carved beautiful birds, and was simply there. And this turned out to be, perhaps, maybe his greatest strength – he was there. And he was available whenever we needed him – which, sometimes was a lot, and sometimes not as much – and he was fine with all of it.

Jim is survived by his wife of 65 years, Betty, his older brother Al Moore, and three sons:

 James Love "Jimmy" Moore, Jr. and his wife, Finney Cossar Moore

 William McNeill "Bill" Moore and his wife, Leigh Anne Sherrod Moore

 Cooper Bufkin Moore and his wife, Leigh McGehee Moore

 Grandchildren: Sanford Moore and his wife, Hannah, and children James Love Moore III and David Farris Moore; Thompson Moore and his wife, Kendall; Harrison Moore; Luci Moore; William Moore; John Moore and his wife, Laura Lee and son, Henry McNeill Moore; Elizabeth Moore Johnson and her husband, William; Thomas Moore, Sarah Grace Moore, Eloise Moore, and Cooper Moore

In the end, we are just thankful to have been a part of his life, and to have experienced his steady, faithful, gentle love.

Westminster Catechism Question #37:

Q. "What benefits do believers receive from Christ at death?"

A. "The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory; and their bodies, being still united to Christ, do rest in their graves till the resurrection."

Memorials may be made to:

Reformed Theological Seminary

African Bible College