LIBERTY – Ronald Ray Mooring died Saturday at his home in Liberty
surrounded by friends and family. He was 66.
Mr. Mooring, born in Port Arthur in 1946, moved to Liberty at age 4.
He graduated from Liberty High School in 1965 and then went on to Lee
College, where he graduated in 1967.
After she stole his buckskin jacket and his heart, he married Beverly
Sommerfeld, the love of his life, in 1978. Together they raised three
children and were married 34 years.
Mr. Mooring worked in numerous refineries in the Houston Ship Channel,
including serving as a general foreman with Brown & Root and quality
control with J.E. Merit.
After retirement in 2002, Mr. Mooring became involved in community
work. He was a proud board member of the Liberty Lions Club and
enjoyed volunteer activities such as setting out flags during
holidays, raising money for scholarships and organizing projects to
help the poor. He was named Lion of the Year in 2012.
Mr. Mooring, an avid gardener, was heavily involved in the Liberty
Community Garden and was president-elect for the coming year. He also
supported local Boy Scout troops by hosting camp outs on his property.
Whether mowing yards or taking out trash, Mr. Mooring enjoyed helping
his neighbors and was affectionately known as the 'Neighborhood
Watch.' It wasn't unusual to see him patrolling Abel Road on his John
Deere tractor.
He loved deer and dove hunting in Rio Medina, listening to ghost
stories and spending time outdoors. He was a voracious reader,
enjoying everything from westerns to American history. His inquisitive
nature drew him to locations in the national spotlight where he could
witness history as it unfolded.
Already a life-long blood donor, Mr. Mooring chose to donate his
organs after his death – a gift that saved 30 lives.
Mr. Mooring was preceded in death by his mother, Mildred Rogers.
He is survived by his wife, Beverly Mooring; daughter, Susan Schrock
and husband Seth; son, Charles Mooring and wife Melissa; son, Stephen
Mooring and wife Taylor; and grandchildren, Owen, Ayden, Jillian and
Carson.