Virgil Lee Moore

"Gardening is a work of the heart".

Virgil Lee “Spec” Moore, age 91 of Erwin, TN, passed away peacefully on Monday, December 16, 2024, at his home.  Virgil was born on December 12, 1933, in Sullivan County, TN to his loving parents, Kelly Harrison Moore and Mabel Tate Moore.  Virgil graduated from Church Hill High School in 1952 and resided in Carter’s Valley and Newport, TN prior to moving to Erwin in 1960.

Upon relocating to Erwin, Virgil was employed by Hoover Precision Products Inc. as a maintenance mechanic.  He retired as Plant Manager in 1998.  Virgil loved working with all levels of plant operations and earned the respect of workers and management alike as a hardnosed, yet fair coworker and friend.

Virgil was a loving and committed husband and father. He was also committed to the Erwin community and served as a two-term town alderman, president of the Erwin Blue Devil Sports Club and a National Director for the Tennessee Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees). He was inducted to the Unicoi County High School Football Hall of Fame in 1998 for his work in supporting Blue Devil athletics.

Virgil loved to play golf, attend local and regional sporting events, and was an avid vegetable gardener. Many referred to him as a "Master Gardener," however, he mostly just enjoyed raising a wide array of fresh vegetables to share generously with his family and throughout the Erwin community. Anyone driving down Carolina Avenue in Erwin between April and September could easily spot Spec working in his garden or sipping chilled water from a Mason jar.

Virgil was baptized at First Baptist Church, Erwin in 1979. He was ordained as a deacon later that year and faithfully served the congregation as chairman of the deacons at numerous times through the years. He also served as director of Sunday school, chairman of a pastoral search committee, and sang in the adult choir. He enjoyed leading Wednesday evening prayer services and participating in weekly visitation. Virgil was preceded in death by his loving wife of 61 years, Barbara Rea Harrison Moore, grandson Joseph Jay Moore, sister Shelby Moore Cradic, and brothers Jim and Don Moore. He is survived by sons Michael (Yvonne), Charlotte, North Carolina; Jonathan (Diana), Johnson City, Tennessee; and Christopher (Cindy), Knoxville, Tennessee, 8 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren; brother Elton (Donna), Church Hill, Tennessee and several nephews, nieces, and cousins.

Please join us in celebrating Virgil's life at 3 p.m. on Sunday afternoon December 29, 2024, at First Baptist Church, 200 Love St., Erwin, Tennessee. The family will receive friends in the church sanctuary immediately before the service between 2:00 and 3:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child or First Baptist Church Erwin.

To view a memorial video, please click here.

Carter-Trent Funeral Home Kingsport is serving the Moore family.