Roy H. Moore, Jr. - Judoka: R.I.P.
An e-mail from Jerry Hays (San Diego, CA):
Roy H. Moore, Jr., age 96, passed away on 2 January 2018. He was born on 29 June 1921.
He started judo under his dad, Roy H. (Pop) Moore in the late 1920s. His first dojo was Moneta (later Gardena Judo Dojo). In 1937, on a joint judo and wrestling trip from Southern California to Japan, he earned the rank of Shodan. During his youth, he had the pleasure of working out in judo with Dr. Kano and Mifune Sensei.
During, WWII, he was stationed as a welder for the US Navy at a repair base in the South Pacific.
His foster brother was Mel Bruno, who was responsible for starting judo in the US Air Force in the 1950s. His father, Roy H. (Pop) Moore, was the 1932 Olympic Wrestling Coach for Japan. During WWII, Mel and Pop taught judo and self-defense to US Navy Seabee at Camp Parks, California.
After the war, Roy settled in the Fresno area of California and continued his training with Professor Toshitaka Yamauchi. In 1959, he moved to the San Diego area and began teaching judo at the Naval Training Center in San Diego. He held that position until 1984, when he retired from his normal job as a welder. During the next several years, he and his wife, Kay, traveled the all over the US. During the winter months when he was in San Diego, he was involved in the judo activities.
He was a coach of the US Navy Judo Team during the 1950s and 1960s for the Interservice competition. In the latter years of his life, health permitting, he would go to shiais in the Los Angeles area.
