Bulletin E-Edition:
‘Giving back’ to cities of Bend and Eugene
J. Peter ‘Pete’ Moore 1941 — 2008
By Joe Mosley / The (Eugene) Register-Guard
Published: December 26. 2008 4:00AM PSTJ. Peter “Pete” Moore
J. Peter “Pete” Moore, a Eugene businessman and philanthropist who spent many years in Central Oregon as president of Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. of Bend, died Tuesday after a two-year battle with leukemia. He was 67.
Moore was chairman of Willamette Beverage Co., and a second-generation Pepsi distributor. He was a founding board member of Summit Bank in Eugene and the High Desert Museum and made headlines four years ago when he and his wife, Mary Ann Moore, pledged $1 million to the Oregon Bach Festival and the University of Oregon.
“It isn’t just his influence on his family, but on those in the community around him,” said his brother, Craig Moore, of Bend. “He was a wonderful individual.”
Peter Moore moved to Bend four decades ago, when his father bought the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. He quickly became an active member of the community, said Trish Smith, of Bend, a longtime friend of Peter and Mary Ann Moore.
“I think Bend is a particularly philanthropic town, and I think part of that began with the leadership of people like Pete ... That took form in everything from making Central Oregon Community College one of the finest community colleges in Oregon to supporting the Cascade Festival of Music — really, virtually everything.”
Char Weichman, who along with her husband, Chet, has bbeen a friend of the Moores for nearly 40 years, said Peter Moore was a generous man who loved his family and his city.
“It makes me smile just to think of him,” she said. “He was just a wonderfully kind, caring person who reached out when he needed to, was fun to be with and just a terrific example of a community person. Just a great husband and a wonderful father and a terrific friend.”
Summit Bank President and CEO Ann Marie Mehlum said she met Moore when a group of local business people got together in 2003 to launch the startup bank. Moore was a founding board member of the bank and remained a member of the bank’s board of directors until his death.
“He was a very positive, inspirational leader in our group — someone who cared greatly about people,” Mehlum said. “He knew that people who were happy doing what they were doing would be successful.”
Oregon Bach Festival
Peter and Mary Ann Moore have been involved in the Oregon Bach Festival as patrons and board members for 18 years, and their 2004 gift was intended to give the festival a foundation of financial security.
“This is something that moves me dearly,” Helmuth Rilling, the festival’s artistic director and conductor, said at the time. “This will help ensure the future of the festival.”
Craig Moore said his brother was diagnosed about two years ago with myeloma dysplasia. The illness worsened last May, and Pete Moore underwent a stem cell transplant in July.
“He was getting ready to come home in October, but before he left (the treatment center), the cancer returned,” his brother said.
Peter Moore received chemo-therapy in hopes of being able to receive another stem cell transplant, but his condition continued to worsen, his brother said.
“His biggest contribution was what our father (taught) — giving back to the community in which you live,” Craig Moore said. “I can tell you, in Bend, Peter has as long a resume as he does in Eugene.”
In addition to his role at the High Desert Museum, Peter Moore served in volunteer roles with the Bend Chamber of Commerce and other community organizations.
Moore will be recognized Jan. 21 at the Hilton Eugene & Conference Center, as the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2008 First Citizen. He was selected for the award based on his business and civic service.
“I always think of him as influential and kind-hearted,” Eugene Chamber President Dave Hauser said Tuesday. “I’ve been impressed by his passion and willingness to give back to the community.”
Moore was one of three sons — along with Craig and Bob — of William R. and Helen Moore.
He earned a bachelor’s degree from the UO in 1964 and a master’s degree in business administration in 1966. His father, William R. Moore, bought Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. of Bend in 1969, and Moore served as president and general manager from 1969 to 1988.
In 1988, the Moore family and the LeFevre family of Roseburg acquired Willamette Beverage Co., which included Pepsi distribution centers in Eugene, Coos Bay and Newport. Moore moved to Eugene and was president and general manager of the partnership until 2005, when he was appointed chairman of the board.
Peter and Mary Ann Moore have two children: a son, Andy, of Eugene, who serves as co-president of Willamette Beverage; and a daughter, Jenny Jaderholm, of Portland. They have four grandchildren.
The funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Paul Catholic Church in Eugene.
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