Kevin Moore Obituary

Moore, Kevin M. Kevin M. Moore, a former Chicago newspaper reporter and entertainment editor, who spent a decade of his pre-teen and teenage summers as an apprentice lion tamer and cotton candy vendor for a family-owned circus, died Wednesday (April 11) in Evanston Hospital from complications following brain surgery. He was 71. Moore was born on Feb. 10, 1947 in Cleveland, Ohio. He and his wife, Constance, moved to Wilmette, Ill., in 1976. From August 1986 to his August 2008 retirement, Moore was deputy entertainment editor supervising and editing critics and review schedules for the Chicago Tribune. Moore created the online "Beat Siskel" Oscar Contest, one of the most successful newspaper online Oscar contests in the country, during the period the late Gene Siskel was the paper's film critic. As editor of the Tribune's Tempo section, Moore was responsible for producing the daily general features section. He also served as deputy editor of the Sunday Arts section and reviewed mysteries for the newspaper's Books section. From 1974 to 1986, Moore was employed by the Chicago Sun-Times, where he was editor of Weekend Plus, an entertainment section. During the early 1970s Moore was a copy editor at the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. Prior to that he was a general assignment and political reporter for Florida TODAY, in Cocoa, Fla., and was part of the Gannett team that covered the 1972 Democratic Convention. Moore earned a bachelor's degree in 1968 and a master's of science degree in journalism in 1971 from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications. He was a member of journalism's Phi Beta Kappa Society. He attended Forman Preparatory School in Litchfield, Conn. Moore enlisted in the U. S. Army in August 1968 and fought in active ground combat. He was severely wounded in Vietnam and honorably discharged two years later. He was awarded the Combat Infantryman's Badge, Purple Heart and a valor citation for his bravery. Moore will be remembered by his friends for his hilarious stories and adventures related to his circus and prep school days as well as his love of classical music, films, theater and cats. He is survived by his wife, Constance. Memorial donations may be made to Opus 327 NFP (not-for-profit) fund in Evanston, which is dedicated to preserving and promoting St. Luke's Episcopal Church's historic E. M. Skinner pipe organ. Opus 327, music performance, music education and stewardship, or to the Tree House Humane Society in Chicago, a cageless, no-kill shelter for sick, injured and stray cats, and their care and placement.