Thomas F. MOORE, Sr.

MOORE, DONEGAN, MORRIS, TANK, RAYNER

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/10/2024 at 13:06:42

Thomas F. Moore, Sr

June 23, 1916 ---- June 8, 1999

Thomas F. Moore, Sr., former Rail Labor leader in Tucson died Tuesday, June 8, 1999 at St. Joseph’s Hospital [Tucson, Arizona] after a long illness. He was 15 days shy of his 83rd birthday, and was born June 23, 1916 in Eagle Grove, Iowa, to Thomas F. and Marguerite (Donegan) Moore.

He came with his family to Arizona in 1922 settling in the Winkelman/Hayden area and came to Tucson in 1928 where he attended Safford Junior High School. He returned to Des Moines, Iowa to attend High School and College and then returned to Tucson where he hired on at Southern Pacific Railroad as a Switchman in 1937.

He worked for Southern Pacific for approximately 40 years during which time he served with distinction as a representative of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen (BRT), Switchmen’s Union of North America (SUNA) and the United Transportation Union (UTU). He was first elected to the local committee of adjustment in the yard in Tucson in the BRT, Foot Board Lodge #1059 in 1941. As a charter member of SUNA Desert Lodge #60, now UTU Local 1800 he held every office in the local as well as the first Local Chairman in Tucson for the SUNA. He was elected to the first General Committee of Adjustment for the SUNA on the Southern Pacific Western Lines, serving three terms as General Secretary and was elected to the SUNA Board of Directors at their International convention in 1953 and held that position until the formation of the UTU wherein he served on the Board of Appeals until his retirement from the UTU in 1979. He served as Secretary to the Board of Directors the last two of his four terms with SUNA and served as the only Secretary to the Board of Appeals for the UTU until his retirement in 1979 from the UTU.

He fought all his life for his Brothers and Sisters in the Labor Movement for the organized and unorganized workers in this country. He was active in local politics in Tucson until his health prevented him from participating, serving as a precinct and state committeemen in the Democratic party and worked in elections for Democratic candidates for City, County, State and National Elections. His involvement climaxed when his son, Tom, replaced Sam Lena in the State Senate for District 10 in 1975, when his dear friend Sam moved on to the Pima County Board of Supervisors.

He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Marie (Morris); son, Tom (Marie) of Tucson; daughters, Lynn Tank (Alfred) of St. Augustine, FL, Mary Rayner (Alan) of Pensacola, FL; 11 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and numerous nephews and nieces all of whom were loved and thought of just like his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Visitation for friends will be Sunday, June 13, from 2:00 p.m. till 8:00 p.m. with a service at 7:00 p.m. at BRING’S MEMORIAL CHAPEL, 236 S. Scott. Funeral Mass Monday, June 14 at 10:00 a.m. at Our Lady Queen of All Saints Catholic Church, 2915 E. 36th Street, Tucson. Burial will follow immediately after the funeral services at Holy Hope Cemetery, 3555 N. Oracle Road.

While not large in body he was a giant in stature! For those of us that loved and admired him, he will be missed!

Tucson Citizen -- Tucson, Arizona
June 1999