West Virginia's longest-serving governor, Arch A. Moore Jr. died January 7th in Charleston at age 91 just one day after his daughter, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, R-WV, was sworn into office.
Moore, a Marshall County native, launched his life in politics at age 28 and was married for 65 years to the late Shelley Riley Moore, who died in September 2014. The Moores were parents to Shelley Moore Capito, Lucy Moore Durbin and Arch III.
“To call our father a source of inspiration would be an understatement. He was -- and will continue to be -- the force that drives us and our families each and every day. Dad loved the State of West Virginia as if it were a member of our family. Serving West Virginians was at the core of his very being and he cherished every moment of it. We will miss his warm embraces, beautiful smile, sky blue eyes and words of encouragement. We are deeply saddened to say goodbye to our loving father, but we take solace in the knowledge that he is at home with the Lord, and reunited with our beloved mother in Heaven,” said Senator Capito.
Moore attended Lafayette College and West Virginia University and was an Army combat sergeant in WWII, earning a bronze star and a Purple Heart. He was elected to Congress in 1956 and stayed until being elected Governor in 1968, 1972 and, once again, in 1984. He was one of the most popular Governors in the history of our state. The Association extends its deepest sympathies and prayers to Senator Capito and the entire Moore family.