Maxie Boyd Moore Jr., 86, of Pullman passed away peacefully at his home on June 26, 2014. Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 2, in the chapel of Kimball Funeral Home. A reception will follow the service at the home of his son and daughter in-law, at 1225 NW State St. Max was born on Nov. 13, 1927, in Birmingham, Ala., where he grew up. He attended Woodlawn High School; during his senior year Max enlisted with the U.S. Marine Corps, intending to become a marine aviator. However, with the demobilization following World War II, he was honorably discharged in 1947 before learning to fly. Max completed his high school degree then attended Birmingham Southern College, earning a B.S. in business in 1952. Still pursuing his dreams of becoming a pilot, Max enlisted in the Alabama Air National Guard while still in college. After graduation, he attended pilot training, soloing in 1953, and was stationed for a while at Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma. He then worked for Hayes Aircraft Corp. in Birmingham until his guard unit was called to active service in 1961 as part of the U.S. response to the Soviet construction of the Berlin Wall. Max served as base operations officer at Dreux Air Base, near Paris, flying a C-47 on resupply missions to overcome the Soviet blockade of West Berlin. He received the National Emergency Service medal from the governor of Alabama for his service overseas. Upon returning to the U.S. in 1963, Max was hired as a corporate pilot for Southern Natural Gas, rising rapidly to the position of director of aviation. He was most proud of a perfect safety record in the SNG Aviation Division under his supervision. He was elected to the board of directors of the National Business Aircraft Association in 1980. His retirement in 1989 marked a distinguished career that encompassed flying a great variety of aircraft, including the T-33, C-47, B-26, F-84, Cessna Citation, and Falcon 10, 20 and 50 corporate jets. Max met the love of his life, Sara LeSueur, as he was delivering papers to the high school library. Max and Sara were married on March 17, 1951, in Birmingham. As a couple, Max and Sara were very active in the Huffman United Methodist Church. Max served on the church board and as chairman of the building committee among many other church activities. They moved to Pullman in 2005 to be closer to family and became involved in the community through volunteer work at Pullman Regional Hospital. Max is survived by his wife of 63 years, Sara L. Moore; son and daughter in-law, Barry and Danna Moore of Pullman; brother, Herbert N. Moore of Trussville, Ala.; and by four grandchildren, Ariel David of Honey Brook, Pa.; Dylan Moore of Pullman; and Nathan and Abigail Thompson of Portland, Ore. His beloved daughter, Marsha Moore-Thompson, preceded him in death. The family suggests memorial contributions in Max's honor be directed to the Pullman Regional Hospital Foundation. Kimball Funeral Home and Crematory has been entrusted with funeral arrangements. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.kimballfh.com.

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