Richard Allen Moe

Richard Allen Moe was born on March 14, 1947, in Waukegan, Illinois, to Reuben and Mabel Moe — the beginning of a life defined by love, loyalty, and quiet courage.He grew up in Waukegan, attending local schools, until 1967 called him toward something bigger. Drafted into the Armed Forces, Richard made a choice that said much about who he was: rather than join the Army, he enlisted in the Marines. From August 1967 to April 1969, he served his country in Vietnam, carrying himself with a bravery that earned him a Purple Heart. He returned home a decorated war hero, though those who knew him best remember that he rarely spoke of it — his heroism lived more in how he carried himself than in the stories he told.Home also meant Aline — his high school sweetheart, the girl he'd loved before the war and the woman he married in August 1969, soon after his return. What followed was 47 years of marriage, a partnership that carried them through decades of everyday life and everything in between, until her passing in 2016.Richard was a master carpenter, and his skilled hands built far more than furniture — they built a home. Nearly every piece of furniture in his house was crafted by his own two hands, each one a quiet expression of the care and precision he brought to everything he did. He also had a talent for chip carving, adding delicate, hand-cut detail to his work that few could match. Beyond the workshop, Richard found peace out on the water fishing and enjoyed spending time shooting, always happiest when he was outdoors or working with his hands.Richard is survived by his sisters, Sandy Gibbons of McHenry, Illinois, and Marianne Swanston of Wickenburg, Arizona; his brother, Ron Moe of Kenosha, Wisconsin; his daughters, Michelle Gillies and Toni Vanderbeck (Allen); and three grandchildren, Anthony, Richard, and Samantha, who carried a piece of him forward.We will miss Richard every single day. But we hold onto gratitude — for the years we had with him, for the strength he showed us, and for the quiet love he carried through his whole life. And now, we find peace knowing he is with Aline again.