Moore's hometown mourns loss of local hero - Fox Sports
Friends, family, foes remember Moore
Hundreds of Moore's fans pay respects
Moore's hometown mourns loss of local hero
CART championship series awards banquet
MAPLE RIDGE, British Columbia - At his father's car dealership, not far from where Greg Moore first honed his talents as a racer, a pickup truck sat Monday with its box full of flowers left to honor the hometown hero killed in a horrific crash. Krista Morley, 6, tentatively approached the fire-engine red truck and stood on her toes to gently add a small bouquet. She then knelt with sister Katie, 4, to scrawl her name beside the dozens of others on a placard attached to the vehicle's bumper.
Watching, tears streaming down her face, was their mother, Debbie. She recalled how thrilled Krista was two years ago when Moore autographed a picture for her during the Vancouver Indy race.
"For a year her dad would ask 'What do you want to be when you grow up?' and she'd say, `A race car driver,' " Morley said, smiling at the memory.
Then the smile faded.
"She said [Monday] she wasn't so sure now."
Krista wasn't the only person feeling a loss Monday. Debbie wasn't the only one battling tears as this community came to grips with the death of one of its most famous sons.
Moore, who was born and raised in this city of 63,000, about 80 miles east of Vancouver, died Sunday during the final CART race of the season in Fontana, Calif. His Reynard-Mercedes slammed into a wall at about 230 mph. He was pronounced dead even as the race continued.
Moore's easy-going, affable manner made many think of him as a friend, whether it was someone he grew up with or a fan who only saw him on television.
"He was a terrific person," said Rick Schymon, who got to know Moore as a volunteer with the sports car club of B.C. "He was very kindhearted. He loved people, he loved his fans. He would write every autograph there was."
Ric Moore, Greg's father, said the family has been "overwhelmed by the genuine kindness and compassion."
"I want everyone to know just how much their thoughts and prayers mean to us during this very difficult time," he said in a statement. "To know that your son was respected and admired by so many means a great deal to us."
Maple Ridge isn't much different than the other communities that fan out like fingers from Vancouver through the Fraser Valley. Strip malls battle for space with neatly kept, older homes. Trees, splashed with fall's bright colors, dot the streets while snowcapped mountains offer a breathtaking backdrop.
Fittingly, dark clouds threatening rain gathered over the town Monday. The previous day had been bright and sunny.
From city hall to the neighborhood Moore grew up in, flags flew at half mast.
A sign outside a downtown fitness club read: "Greg, you will always be with us."
Mayor Carl Durksen said the community shared the Moore family sorrow.
"Greg always had such an exuberance for life and was an example for your young people," he said. "Now his life is wiped out, and that's left a big hurt in our community."
At Pitt Meadows secondary school, where Moore graduated in 1993, a small, handmade wreath framed his graduation picture. An attached note said "missing you Greg."
Lian Karlstedt, a student at the school, never met Moore but knows his sister.
"It's pretty weird," Karlstedt said. "Even though I didn't know him I still feel a lot."
Moore's parents and girlfriend were in California, and witnessed his death. They returned to Vancouver on Sunday night. A security guard sat in a car parked outside the family's home Monday.
A private service for family, close friends and members of the CART community will be held Wednesday in Vancouver. A public memorial service will be held later this week in Maple Ridge.
The Greg Moore Fund will accept donations for various charities he supported.
When Moore was a child, his father would block off the car dealership he owned, and on Sundays Greg would roar around the parking lot in a 2.5-horsepower miniature van.
On Monday, people streamed by the site of the new dealership, partly to show respect for a local family in sorrow, partly to ease their own hurt.
Joyce Purvey came with her young son, Taylor. She had been at work Sunday when she heard the news and wanted to leave some flowers.
"It was something I hoped eased their pain, or eased mine," she said quietly.
Source : Fox Sports (Associated Press)