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.