Round-Up Director Passes

By: Ruth Nicolaus

President emeritus Frank Moore spent 70 years volunteering with the Red Bluff Round-Up

Red Bluff, Calif. – One of the icons of the Red Bluff Round-Up has passed away.

Frank Moore, long-time director and president of the Round-Up, passed away surrounded by family and friends on November 14. He was 88.

Born in 1932, he graduated from Red Bluff High School in 1951. He was drafted into the Army and served stateside during the Korean War. After discharge, he was asked to join the Round-Up as a volunteer.

n the early 1960s, Moore bought the Northern California franchise of the Portland Glove Company, with a route that extended as far north as Yreka, Calif., east to Reno, Nev., and south to the Bay area. He had a strong work ethic and eventually became regional manager. He worked for Portland Glove and Wells Lamont for 35 years before retiring.

In 1971, Moore was named a director of the Round-Up. Nearly every part of the rodeo arena, grounds and seating had his mark on it. He worked to modernize the arena, building the box seats, the sky boxes, and the announcer’s stand. The arena was named Frank Moore Arena, in his honor. “Frank was the heart of most of the improvements,” said Dave Ramelli, past president of the Round-Up and a director.

He also worked tirelessly to build the museum, with his friends contributing manpower and expertise in building it. “When he worked on a project,” Ramelli said, “his friends would say, ‘I’ll come in and help you,’ because they all wanted to work with Frank, and in turn, it helped the Round-Up.”

Moore was named president of the Round-Up in 1991 and served in that role till 2003, when he was named president emeritus.

Everyone who met him loved him, Ramelli said. “Frank Moore was loved by everybody. If Frank said, ‘I’m building fence out here,’ he had ten guys out there with him. Everybody loved him and wanted to help him.”

He was generous, but he was authentic, too. “He’d give you the shirt off his back, but he’d let you know where you stood, too. If he didn’t think it was right, he’d tell you about it. Frank Moore was one of the old-school good guys.”

The Round-Up was his life, said Ramelli. “He did other things to make a living, but he loved the Round-Up.” Moore volunteered with the Round-Up for over seventy years.

Moore was a member of the Red Bluff Elks Lodge for more than 64 years and hosted their annual Trail Ride at the Nunes Ranch in Viola for more than twenty years.

Preceding him in death is his son, Michael, in 1969; his mother, Anna, in 1985; his brother, Bill, in 2011, and his wife, Barbara, in 2010. He is survived by by his brother Donald (Duck); his children, Marci Weeks Krasowski, John Weeks, Dana Beebe Cantoni, and Lisa Beebe; his grandchildren, Danielle Hughes, Lauren Krasowski, Nicholas and Erin Cantoni, Parker Phelps, MacKenzie Bradley, Rob Weeks, Sybil Weeks Steele, Audrey Weeks, and Spencer Weeks; his nieces Michelle Moore and Debbie Moore Wagner; and his nephews Jeff, Rodney, Jon, Scott, and Brad Moore.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Frank Moore Memorial Scholarship. Contributions can be mailed or delivered to the Red Bluff Round-Up, attention Frank Moore Memorial Scholarship, 670 Antelope Blvd. Suite 2, Red Bluff, California, 96080.

Services are pending.