James DeMoor Obituary

As I reflect on my fathers life and our time together over the past 58 years many emotions and thoughts surface. My dad was a very good provider as an Air Force officer and as a financial services representative with Metlife and Affiliated Companies. My father stayed the course with his marriage to my mother and that set an example for our family, grand children and the community.
A few outreach activities stand out in my heart. While stationed in Altus, Oklahoma at the Air Force base my father made an effort to reach out to the migrant workers that needed a change of clothes, food and basic necessities. My father served in Viet Nam from 1964 until 1965. While Stationed in Saigon he spent off duty time visiting the nearby orphanage for abandoned children. My father also arranged for my grandpa DeMoor to send care packages to Viet Nam for the children at the orphanage.
Other memories stand out in my heart as well. Fishing on the Russsian River in Alaska, fishing in Ressurection Bay in Seward, Alaska, frog gigging in Oklahoma, visiting Washington DC when we lived in Norfolk, Virginia and many more adventures.
Lastly my father lead our family in our Catholic faith and was consistantly involved in prayer. Many more thoughts could be written but this is what comes to my mind and heart...with love and respect, joe

Why I will remember Jim “Mr. D” DeMoor

- I will remember Mr. D because of the way he welcomed me into the family many years ago.
- I will remember Mr. D because he was consistent, reliable, trustworthy, and wise.
- I will remember Mr. D because he taught me a lot about taking care of a house, a yard, and a garden.
- I will remember Mr. D because of the handmade items he gave our children, especially the wagon, the easel, the sandbox, and the crutches… some of which we worked on together.
- I will remember Mr. D because of all the useful tools that he gave me over the years, many of which I use on a regular basis. Whenever I use these tools, I think of him.
- I will remember Mr. D because of our restaurant outings every Veteran's Day.
- I will remember Mr. D because he always enjoyed coming over to our house to celebrate holidays and special occasions like Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, etc.
- I will remember Mr. D because of the work we did together learning how to use the computer.
- I will remember Mr. D because of the homemade greeting cards he made on his computer.
- I will remember Mr. D because of the way he got me started on genealogy.
- I will remember Mr. D because he gave me and Ann a ride to an auto dealership in Denver to buy our first new car after Maria was born.
- I will remember Mr. D because of the example he was on being a good husband and father.
- I will remember Mr. D because of his quiet strength and humility.
- I will remember Mr. D because he was always doing something meaningful and helpful with his hands.


Helping Hands

The good Lord had a gift to Jim,
The helping hands God that gave him.
Hands that came from heaven above,
To share, to give, to show his love.
The hands that made wooden toys,
For little girls and little boys.
Steady and consistent were these hands,
In dealing with life's constant demands.
Hands that made rosaries day after day,
To touch the hearts of others far away.
Hands for planting, building, repairing,
Hands for comforting and for caring.
Hands that showed us how to give,
Hands that showed the way to live.
From an early age to his final days,
His hands showed love in many ways.

Where do I even begin when trying to describe my Yellow Grampy? I have so many wonderful memories to choose from that an entire book could be written of them all. I'm going to write down a few of my favorite in memory of a great man.

When I was little I remember picking vegetables in the garden with Grampy and then spraying off the carrots with the garden hose in the backyard. We would then eat dinner on the patio and finish off the night eating popcorn and watching the Lawrence Welk Show.

When I came to visit Grammy and Grampy during high school and college, Grampy would bring me upstairs to his office and show me the geneaology progress he had made since the last visit. At the time this was not my desired way to spend an afternoon, but now I cherish the memory and the work he did.

One of my favorite recent memories of my Grampy is the first time I introduced him to my husband, Troy, who at the time was my very recent boyfriend. I remember Grampy didn't quite understand Troy at first when he said, "Sarah and I are dating." It took all of about 30 seconds for Grampy to welcome him as part of the family. He told me later, "that one is a keeper." At our wedding Grampy pulled us aside at the reception and told us, "you two will be just fine." I was so happy to have his blessing.

I'm also so thankful he got to meet Lucy before he passed. She got to visit him a couple days before he died and he said, "she looks very healthy" several times.

From picking vegetables to wood toys, from spices to grilling, from rosary making to attending Mass, from the Rockies to 60 minutes, my heart and mind are full of memories of my Yellow Grampy.

He will always be remembered and always be missed.
We love you! love, Sarah, Troy, and Lucy

My True North

As my mom pulled up to Celestial Seasonings with me and my grandma the other day, we parked in front of a sign that read:
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. -Lao Tzu
I had finally found the quote that summed up my grandfather's way of life. He sincerely existed in harmony with creation, which led to discipline, which paved a path of peace to walk along with his wife and most importantly, the Lord.
I hear a lot of contradictions about Catholicism, and if it wasn't for my grandpa, I'd be disheartened. Without ever giving me a lecture about the do's and don't's of being faithful, he became my lighthouse in the storm of opinions. Grampy will always be my compass for what it means to live a simple, holy life. He is my True North. And for that I am eternally grateful to him.

Maria


The Alphabet According to Jim DeMoor

A s they say in the Middle East…I RAN.
B lue beads, bird feeders, the Bless Us O Lord, and bell peppers.
C hives, chocolate, carrots, and Christmas cork angels.
D ark purple grapes and driving carefully.
E WTN Journey Home.
F ather Wilfred.
G erman pretzels, genealogy, and green crocs.
H ints of cologne.
I n nomine patris et filii et spiritus sancti.
J elly.
K illing a moose in Alaska. Like a boss.
L amp glow.
M ajestic red rocks, the Maronites, and Mont St. Michel.
N ormandy.
O valtine and old churches.
P adre Pio and pickled garlic and green beans.
Q uiet shutting of car doors.
R ick Steve, rosaries, and the Rockies.
S easoned salmon, Sacre Coeur, and St. Thérèse.
T hyme, lemon variety.
U nfettered courage.
V ail.
W ood projects and Wimberger's bratwursts.
X mas Eve with tortellini soup and Challah bread.
Y ellow cherry tomatoes.
Z e gates are okay but the hinges are rusty.

(The first letter of each sentence spells out the word, Passionate)




P repared for everything, in a tidy manner.
A ppreciative of good meals or favors.
S incerely dedicated to his Roman Catholic faith and his family.
S implicity is a blessing.
I nterested in the world before him, around him, after him, and other cultures.
O pen minded to trying new things: mushrooms, spices, recipes, restaurants...
N urtured nature all his days.
A lways doing things the right way, through delicate processes.
T ogether through his balanced ways.
E xperiences of a lifetime: cold war, WW2, Vietnam, the Great Depression, active duty military, 58 years of marriage, traveling...

Jim was a very special person and was a pleasure to know, a true gentleman. We so enjoyed our visits to Colorado and Garden of the Gods, as Jim was our own special tour guide. His passion for his family and love of nature showed in all he did!

Maryse and I will never forget the time we spent in Paris with Jim and Lucille. He realli was a good man, a good husband, a good father and he good friend of us. May he rest in peace! Maryse and Nino (Italy)

Grandpa was a close pen pal of mine. We frequently emailed about recipes and cooking, photos of his Great Grandsons, life at USAFA, in Hawaii and Oklahoma, his woodworking, genealogy, and traveling adventures, our Catholic faith, simple updates and more serious health updates. I admired his love for the great outdoors and his ability to have a sense of humor in any situation. I had a friendship with my Grandpa, and I'll always cherish that blessing. More than anything he was truly a man of God. Upon hearing that Eric was deploying for a year, we also found out that God blessed us with our third son, Luke. Honestly, we were pretty stressed about the whole situation, but we knew God had a plan. I'll never forget Grampy's reaction and wise words. I held close to them through the deployment, and I still do today:

Thursday, August 30, 2012
Hello Marie,
Thank you so much for taking the time to call this afternoon. Your attitude about being with child is admirable and truly Catholic. I am proud of you and Eric for cooperating with our Creator, God Almighty.
As I mentioned on the phone, plan ahead in general terms for the long range and let God take care of the focal points down the road. Then make adjustments in a prayerful way. Things usually work out for the best.
Take care and God Bless,
Grampy

May we all learn from you and go through this life with a steadfast faith in God and a sense of humor…even until the end. I know you pray for us, and I look forward to being united in heaven one day. Until then, I'll do my best as a wife, as a mother, and as a friend to Grammy. That's the best way I know to honor you, my dear Grampy.

Grandpa, we love and miss you so much. I think of you daily as my kids play with your woodwork. Upon entering our house, your three wooden crosses are hung for all to see--a wonderful tribute to you and the faith you passed along to your family, of which I am most grateful. I would sit next to you in the garage of the yellow house and spend hours watching and helping you work. I have realized in parts of my life the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I just finished a huge bowl of popcorn, which is evidently something passed to me through my mom. As an adult, I will always cherish playing with the Academy Band in Colorado Springs and looking up to see you sitting there in the audience. It meant the world to have you there, and I will always remember fondly my trip to Colorado to visit you and Grandma. I love you!

It is still hard to think that Grandpa has passed beyond this world and his physical presence is no longer with us. It was comforting knowing someone like him was available for some wise words or extra prayers. Grandpa definitely made his mark here on Earth and I miss him very much. Whenever we visited Grandma and Grandpa growing up, I always knew what to expect from Gramps- a tour of the garden to see what was sprouting, a walk around the wood shop to see his most recent work, some nice time with him watching the Rockies or making rosaries, and going to the Garden of the Gods. I learned respect from Grandpa. For some reason, he was just someone I knew I should really respect, and I still do to this day. Spending time with him as a grown-up, I would seek his advice on finances and my journey in the Catholic faith. Grandpa would always look out for me and it's because of him that my husband paid off his credit card debt before proposing! Grandpa thought it was very important to start a marriage as debt free as possible, so I told Matt and Matt also felt a sense of respect for Grandpa and followed his advice. I was amazed how well Grandpa and Matt clicked. I'm so grateful for Grampy's wisdom and love and ongoing presence in my marriage and personal life. Grandpa even comforted me through the passing of my other Grandfather. I happened to be in St. Louis at the time, and Grandpa and me were emailing about the church he got baptized in. I learned that Grandpa was extremely empathetic and very caring. He understood loss and pain. But, he also understood that life moves on, and so the next day after my other grandfather passed, I went to the church Grandpa DeMoor was baptized in and said a prayer of thanksgiving for both. That was a very special moment. We love you Grandpa! Thank you for all the kindness, wisdom, and love. Life does move on, but it will move on much more gracefully thanks to your beautiful life!

Some of my fondest memories of my dad include our Alaskan adventures. 1970, 11 years old. Father's Day weekend the five of us went on a deep sea adventure to fish in Seward Alaska. Those of you who know me, this is not my specialty. My dad handed me the fishing rod and said that the hook caught a boot and to try and reel it in. The next thing I knew we had a 40lbs. halibut flapping around in our itty bitty boat. While my dad was trying to knock out the halibut with a billy club, I was trying my hardest not to touch the fish and go overboard at the same time. Another memory was sharing Godiva chocolate with my dad, yes we were and always will be dark chocolate lovers. My dad provided well for us and made sure we were safe and secure. thank you dad for your loyal Christian example. Your get it done attitude is apart of me and as my own family knows, I thrive on the next project. My heart is warmed knowing that you at peace in heaven. I love you dad!! (daughter)

Another memory in Grandpa's TV room with my mom and Grandma. I remember how he always used to love watching the Rockies play baseball! He was a loyal fan no matter how they were playing.

My memories of Grandpa start when I was a young girl and would spend time with him in his garden. We would watch together as hummingbirds would come to the feeder to eat. I remember the wonderful bread he used to bake and the time he so thoughtfully surprised me by hand washing my new blue Toyota Matrix. I'll forever cherish the 2 rosaries he made for me. I love you and know you're up above watching over us Gramps!

Begin your entry here.
This is a poem that John and I wrote and I read it at the funeral:

Helping hands

The good Lord had a gift for Jim,
The helping hands God gave to him.
Hands that came from heaven above,
To share, to give, to show his love.
The hands that made wooden toys,
For little girls and little boys.
Steady and consistent were these hands,
In dealing with life's constant demands.
Hands that made rosaries day after day,
To touch the hearts of others far away.
Hands for planting, building, repairing,
Hands for comforting and for caring.
Hands that showed us how to give,
Hands that showed the way to live.
From an early age to his final days,
His hands showed love in many ways.
by John and Ann

This just shares a small fraction of my Dad's gifts....I feel that it was a great privilege to share the special times with dad during his sickness...it was a gift to care for him and to hear his great stories! I knew what his disease was all about..... he was an inspiration to me by the way he lived with hope and faith the whole way through his brain surgery, cyber knife radiation, recovery, and final days! I hope that I can remember his courage, faith, and positive attitude for my own challenges in life! I miss my father but I feel his presence in many ways!
Ann Mandico(Jim's daughter)

We are sorry for your loss. We would like to take this time to thank you & your family for their years service & sacrifice for our country.
God Bless

My condolences to the DeMoor family. I worked with Jim for many years, and was blessed to meet his family. As time heals, I know you will be able to look back and enjoy the many stories and memories you have of him. You are all in my prayers.

Grampy, James Francis DeMoor, we love you now and always will. Praying for your new home in heaven, which I know will be accompanied by a fresh loaf of bread and the best garden on the block!

You taught me to garden, build furniture, to remember my roots with genealogy, cheer for the Rockies, bake a loaf of bread...

And you taught me to cherish my Catholic faith, the greatest gift of all.

Joe, May God bless you and your family. Love, Brian & Linda