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Funeral honors dedicated firefighter

By Raiza Canelon / Staff Writer / rcanelon@syvnews.com

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The ashes of Santa Barbara County Fire Heavy Equipment Operator Dean Moore are brought down from a tractor during the procession at his funeral Thursday in Solvang. Moore died Nov. 29 after a two-year battle with lung cancer.//Ian Gonzaga/Staff

The gray rain clouds mirrored the somber mood Thursday morning as the final alarm was rung for Dean Moore, a heavy-equipment operator for the Santa Barbara County Fire Department who died Nov. 29 after a two-year battle with lung cancer.

The funeral was held at Old Mission Santa Ines where hundreds of personnel from the Santa Barbara and Ventura county fire departments, Vandenberg Fire Department, Cal Fire and the U.S. Forest Service lined up to pay respects as Moore’s ashes were brought in on his bulldozer, followed by his family.

Father Gerald Barron presided over the ceremony, where the overflow crowd spread outside into the mission courtyard.

“Dean was famous for his barbecues and never without a joke or two, or three. He could fill your stomach with good food and your heart with laughter,” said his brother Russell during reflections.

Moore’s other brother, Jay, also spoke of their childhood together and the trouble they would get into.

As an adult, Jay Moore said, “my brother also had a passion for animals and rescued a great-horned owl at a job site once.”

Dean Moore was born March 3, 1958, in Oxnard and enlisted in the U.S. Navy after high school. He served four years and spent another three in the Naval Reserve while he got into the construction trade.

His friend William Garretson recalled Moore going to reserve duty in San Luis Obispo. Since he didn’t want to cut off his long hair, he wore a wig. The congregation chuckled.

“Some 14 years ago, Dean was awoken by a noise and saw a neighbor’s house on fire. He bravely went into the house and rescued a mother and son and right then knew what he wanted to do,” Barron said.

Moore was hired by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department in April 1996 and stationed in Los Alamos, where he worked as a heavy equipment operator. He lived in Santa Maria with his wife, Tracy.

“Dean was a dedicated firefighter and risked his life to save others. He had a difficult battle with cancer, and he will be a difficult person to replace,” said the department’s Capt. David Sadecki.

The funeral ended with the Firefighter’s Prayer read by Chaplain Jerry Gray and a procession to the Solvang Veterans Memorial Hall for a reception.

December 15, 2009