Michael Moore 1936-2020

Michael was born in Louth, Lincolnshire, to Walter and Hily Moore, on 26 August 1936.

He was educated at Louth Grammar School and left aged 18 to go to naval college in Hull to study marine radio.

In 1955 he joined the merchant navy and went to sea as second radio officer on the 'Isle of Guernsey'.

Michael met his wife Mary at a dance organised by the Mission to Seamen in Hull in 1959 and they married in 1961.

His job with P&O Cruises sparked a love of travel and he also developed a keen interest in photography.

When he left the merchant navy in 1974, aged 38, he went back to the University of Hull and took a three year English degree to become a freelance journalist.

When retirement came in 2001, Michael and Mary moved to Havant, and he took the opportunity to join the newly-formed Angel Radio where he presented regular programmes on Jazz, another of his passions. His show, 'Swing Song' ran for 18 years.

Throughout his life, Michael's love of cycling continue; from his boyhood explorations of Lincolnshire, including the hilly 'wolds' on his heavyweight Raleigh and at 17 on a Sun Champion handed down from his sister who had just got married; throughout his worldwide travels; on into retirement when he joined Portsmouth CTC - a Cycling UK group. Here he rode out most Wednesdays with the group, becoming an expert on the best tea rooms and cake shops in Hampshire and West Sussex.

He rode many thousands of miles, but his first 100 mile run was to Salisbury in June 2009. The following year his many cycling friends elected him president.

It was, perhaps, inevitable that he would organise a tour of Lincolnshire to share the love of his home county with his fellow riders, and in 2019 he took a week's cycling trip to Croatia.

A service to celebrate the life of Michael was held at St. Faith's Church, Havant on 9 September 2020, conducted by the Rector, Canon Tom Kennar.

The coffin was carried into the church past a line of cyclists from his club, and afterwards members led the drive from the church to the Crematorium on Michael's final journey.

Michael is survived by his wife, Mary, daughter Kate, and two granddaughters Rachel and Courtney.