Date of Birth:
Friday, October 12, 1934
Date of Death:
Sunday, April 4, 2021
Age:
86 years old

Thomas Herman Moore Jr.

Thomas Herman Moore Jr.  (Herman), 86, passed away peacefully on April 4, 2021.

Herman was born on October 21, 1934 in Ponder, Texas.  His small- town Texas roots and the work ethic he learned from his mother and father were ever present in his stories, character, and philosophy.  Herman was the first person in his family to attend college, graduating summa cum laude from North Texas State University and first in his class from Southwestern Medical School.  He met Teddy Katherine Druce in college, and they married in 1958. He and Teddy left Texas for Baltimore when he was selected for residency training in Otolaryngology at Johns Hopkins University.  Herman was drafted into the Army during his second year of residency, and he proudly served for two years as a medical officer and helicopter flight surgeon at Fort Rucker, Alabama.  After completion of his military service, Herman and Teddy and their newborn daughter returned to Baltimore where he completed his residency and was selected for an additional year as a Chief Resident.

Herman began his medical career as a solo practitioner in Tucson, Arizona in 1967.  During his career, his practice grew into a thriving group of multiple specialty surgeons. He served as the director of the Tucson craniofacial clinic, performed as a team physician for the University of Arizona athletic program, and was described by his partner as an expert in head and neck anatomy and a superb surgeon.  He performed thousands of life improving operations on children and adults. Herman was an old -school physician who visited patients in their homes when they could not come into the office.  He was beloved by his patients for his calm manner, compassion, excellence and attention to detail. Herman retired in 1999, and in 2005 he and Teddy moved to Rochester, Minnesota to be closer to family.

Herman was a loving and devoted husband. and an attentive father who engaged in his children’s lives.   He loved gardening, and his roses and citrus trees were meticulously manicured.  He could build or fix almost anything, and every weekend would find him shopping at the local hardware store, where every employee greeted him like Norm walking into Cheers. Herman loved animals, and helped his children and grandchildren raise a variety of pets, including cats and dogs, a duck, several snakes, a tortoise, guinea pigs, rabbits and a hamster.  Herman was natural teacher.  He passed on his love of learning, his respect and kindness for everybody he met, his sense of humor, and his love for family to his children and grandchildren.

Herman is survived by his wife, Teddy, his daughter Julia (Mark) Utz, his son Eric (Wendy) Moore, M.D., and his grandchildren Christina and Caroline Utz and Matt and Ethan Moore.

His family and friends will miss his intelligence, wit, poise, and graceful presence.

A special thank-you to the kind and caring staff of River Bend and Seasons Hospice, who aided him at the end of his life.