David Moore, renowned builder of tracker action pipe organs, loving husband, father, grandfather, and resident of Pomfret, died on May 29 at age 80.
David was born in 1946, the middle child of Hewitt and Dorothy Moore. He was raised on the family farm in Pomfret. He spent his spare time exploring, playing music, and disassembling anything that could be taken apart. He was mechanically gifted and found joy in building things, often getting more satisfaction from the process of creation than by any particular outcome.
As a high school senior, he and a friend, John Atwood, acquired a pipe organ from the Masonic Temple in Woodstock. They rebuilt it in David’s grandparents’ barn, and later sold it to a church in Iowa. The experience combined history, art, music, and woodworking — an ideal match for David’s interests.
In 1970, he began working for C.B Fisk pipe organ company in Gloucester, Mass. While installing an instrument at the University of Connecticut he met Susan Nesbit, who was completing her graduate degree. They were married in 1973.
That same year, David returned to Vermont, to start his own pipe organ business, A. David Moore Incorporated. He built his workshop on the edge of one of his parents’ hayfields, a short walk from his house. The wood used in the instruments was harvested from the farm and processed on his sawmill. The keys were fashioned of bones from Angus cattle raised by his sister. On occasion he was known to experiment making parts out of moose bones, acquired via the area game warden. He never wasted and was insatiably curious. His family frequently helped with parts of the construction, and he always welcomed visitors. Pomfret was home and he was happiest when he was there.
He didn’t own a watch, the clocks in his cars were off by hours, and his cell phone was only switched on when he needed to make a call. He measured the day by the sun’s place in the sky, the distance from his last meal, and whether the school bus had already rattled down the road.
David loved the forest, and the practice of growing and harvesting useful timber products. He often collected trees and seeds from far flung locations, and spent years planting unusual trees in rather random locations. If you are traveling the woods of Pomfret and come across a somewhat out-of-place tree you last saw in coastal California, the high desert of Arizona, or perhaps the mountains of South Korea, you can thank David.
He was an inveterate traveler, and a fresh haircut was a sign that a departure was imminent. His adventures began close to home, exploring Pomfret and the surrounding region on foot and by bicycle. In his early twenties, he adventured through Central America in a Volkswagen bus collecting orchids, and later visited cathedrals across Europe. His work took him to countless cities and towns throughout the United States.
Eight months before his passing, after installing an enormous pipe organ in Newport Beach, Calif., he drove himself home to Vermont. For the thrill of it, he made the trip in a van so new it hadn’t yet been registered, inspected, or fitted with license plates. He proudly arrived home without a single ticket or toll paid.
In the warmer months, at his workshop in Pomfret, with the windows and doors open, he could be found playing an organ, the music drifting out of the building and across the fields. The piece would usually be something familiar, enlivened with improvisational flourishes. Careful listening would reveal that he was harmonizing with the birds in the trees or the rhythm of the haying equipment operating nearby. There was no separation between his family, his work, and the place that he lived.
David is survived by his wife of 53 years, Susan; his sons Brendan, Chris, and Luke; daughters-in-law Barrett and Jessica; grandchildren Anderson, Izzy, Finn, and Sadie; sister Emily; brother John; numerous nieces, nephews, and extended family members; and many, many friends.
He is also survived by the dozens of instruments he built and repaired for churches, colleges, and private homes across the country. If you ever find yourself near St. James Episcopal church in Woodstock, Old North Church in Boston, Mass., Grace Episcopal church in Georgetown, Washington D.C., among others, stop in and remember David.
A celebration of life will be announced at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to The Barbara Owen Fund for Education at the Organ Historical Society, 330 North Spring Mill Road, Villanova, PA 19805-1737, or organhistoricalsociety.org/donate.
An online guestbook can be found at cabotfh.com.
