Former Elkhart Mayor Dick Moore, who led the city through the Great Recession of 2008, died Thursday at the age of 91.
Elkhart Common Council President Arvis Dawson says Moore loved three things: Nancy, his wife of 68 years who died in January, their Jackson Boulevard home on the St. Joseph River, and the city of Elkhart.
The Democrat was mayor for two terms, from 2008 through 2016 when he lost his bid for a third term to Republican Tim Neese. He served the city for 40 years total, including 20 years as a firefighter and 12 years as street commissioner.
Moore hired Dawson to be his chief of staff after beating Dawson in the mayoral primary. In 2009, with RV factories idled, Elkhart’s nearly 18% unemployment rate made national news.
"He did a good job of taking us through that turbulent time," Dawson said. "He just knew what to do to keep the city afloat, to make sure everybody kept their job. He felt like we can't lay people off, we just add to the problem by doing that, while at the same time keep our city going, make sure we have the things we needed. His thing was, never let your wants exceed your needs."
Mayor Rod Roberson said Moore “had a work ethic that couldn’t be duplicated.”
