Strong evangelical and devoted family man

Passionate: Canon Billy Moore THE Bishop of Down and Dromore has led tributes to a cleric who died after a long illness.

Canon William (Billy) Morris Moore passed away peacefully on Monday.

Born in 1933, William Moore was educated at Royal Belfast Academical Institution.

He graduated from Queen’s University in 1955 with a B.Sc. and was a teacher before he decided to enter the Church.

He studied for ordination at Trinity College Dublin, where he earned the TCD Divinity Testimonium.

Ordained a deacon in 1961 and a priest in 1962, he was curate at St Michael’s Church on Craven Street in Belfast, off the Shankill Road, from 1961 to 1964.

From1964to1970hewasacurate at All Saints Church in University Street, and then returned to St Michael’s, where he was rector until 1980.

He then became rector at St Jude’s Ballynafeigh until his retirement in 2003.

In 1995 he was appointed canon at St Anne’s Cathedral, and he held that post until his retirement at 70.

Bishop Harold Miller said: “I was deeply saddened to hear of Canon Billy’s death.

“He was a strong evangelical, and one of the evangelical clergy of his day who married late in life. He was strongly devoted to his wife Marlene and she to him. My last words to Billy were: ‘You did well when you found Marlene’.

“Our prayers are with all who knew and loved him, especially Marlene and the family.

“His secure trust was in the fact that he had been covered with the righteousness of Christ.”

Reverend Stephen Lowry, rector of Carryduff, where Canon Moore worshipped after his retirement, said: “He was a highly-esteemed Christian gentleman with a passion for people, for the Church and for the faith.”

A service of thanksgiving will take place at 11am tomorrow at St Ignatius’s in Carryduff.

Canon Moore is survived by Marlene, his three children Michael, Judith and Naomi, his son-in-law Jon and his grandson William.

ALF McCREARY