Walter (Wally or Mooey) Bell Moore (Jan 16, 1918 — Jan 18, 2017)

Walter was born in Bangor, Ireland, a seaside town 22 km east of Belfast. He was the youngest of five boys and one girl. His father, John, was killed on the last day of the war in 1918, so in 1920, his mother decided to come to Canada with six kids – by herself. What a trip that must have been. Having known my uncles and aunt, I suspect they were little rascals, especially Ivy. I’m sure Wally, even at three years old, must have been the least of her problems. They ended up on Rogers Road in Toronto and later on Caledonia Road, on the slope that plunges from Eglinton Ave. to Gilbert Ave. Also on that slope lived the Kehl family, also immigrants and my father became good friends with Ab Kehl. 

In the mid-30s, Ab took my dad up to Kahshe Lake with his family. His mother was Irish, so that was another bond. The Kehls had a cottage there across from the Tuero family, whose parents were also immigrants, from Spain. That cottage was built by Von Alma and Frank Kidd and still stands today. That’s where he met my mother Ana Tuero. He inevitably ended up permanently visiting across the road, and they were married in 1943. 

He was a 48th. Highlander all his life and was enlisted from 1935 to 1945. He worked his way up the ranks from Corporal through Sergeant Major to Lieutenant. He came back to Canada from Italy for Officer’s training and then was sent back to Italy in August 1944. He was then seriously wounded in the back in September and the bullet remained there all his life. When he recovered, he was at Kahshe Lake and made a deal to buy the property next door for $75. It was a Sunday in 1945, and he made arrangements to meet the owner in Toronto that night to pay him. Unfortunately, an acquaintance overheard the deal and when my dad left, he offered $76 and my dad lost the deal. Many years later the property came on the market for a third time, and my dad finally bought it. He spent the summer of 2016 there before he went into Sunnybrook where he died peacefully and without pain. He is greatly missed.