Ronald McDonald House Charities of Jacksonville received a generous bequest in the amount of $2.4 Million from The Honorable John H. Moore II and Joan Kraft Moore Living Trust.
William “Bill” McMenamy and Thomas Donahoo from the law firm of Donahoo & McMenamy, P.A., presented the generous donation to the staff and board members of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Jacksonville Aug. 8.
“We’re honored to present this gift on behalf of John and Joan Moore and we’re happy that it will be used in our community,” said McMenamy.
“We are so fortunate to be the recipients of Judge Moore and his wife’s generosity,” said Diane Boyle, RMHC executive director. “They have significantly strengthened the charitable community in Jacksonville with their thoughtful gift. This gift will help our organization continue our mission to support the growing needs of critically ill children and their families in Jacksonville and beyond.”
Judge Moore passed away in July 2013 and his wife, Joan, on April 21, 2019. They both graduated from Syracuse University and married in December 1951. He joined the U.S. Navy, retiring as a commander in 1971 from the U.S. Naval Reserves. In 1981 President Ronald Reagan appointed Moore to Florida’s Middle District court and they came to Jacksonville. She was a high school English teacher. The couple has two daughters, Katherine, who predeceased them, and Debbie, of St. Augustine.
The judge was known as a “no-nonsense” jurist, and presided over Duval County’s landmark school desegregation case. Colleagues recalled him as a purist who demanded lawyers abide by the three Ps – be prepared, be punctual and be professional – when they appeared before him.
The Moores, who lived at the Beaches, had also established an endowment fund in 2004 to support scholarships and programming for the sport of tennis at the University of Florida.
