Bill Moore Dies in Accident

Dear Friends of Bill Moore,

The article below appeared in the Santa Rosa, California Press Democrat newspaper on May 3, 2009. Bill and Suzanne Moore visited Ghana in November, 2007 for about ten days and contributed much to the effort to further recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction. Bill was not only an expert in addiction but full of the life of recovery which inspired many of us in Ghana.

Wallace B. Moore Jr., a 68-year-old Santa Rosa man, was killed Friday, May 1, 2009, in a motorcycle crash on a Nevada state highway east of the Sierra Nevada .
Moore, who went by the first name Bill, was riding with a group of motorcyclists belonging to the Gold Wing Road Riders Association bound for Death Valley , said his wife, Suzanne Moore.
Nevada state trooper Chuck Allen said the motorcyclists were on State Route 338 about 20 miles south of Smith, Nev. , when Moore failed to negotiate a curve at about 11:25 a.m.
He hit a rock and a metal sign and was pronounced dead at the scene. The highway connects Smith to Bridgeport , in Alpine County.
Moore was riding a 1994 blue-colored Honda Gold Wing motorcycle, Allen said.
A Santa Rosa resident since 1988, Moore was a self-employed addictions counselor who was dedicated to assisting alcoholics, his wife said.
"That was the driving force in his life," Suzanne Moore said.
The couple had been married 14 years and had traveled widely, visiting Japan, China, Thailand, Australia, Turkey, Greece, Egypt, Ghana, Peru and the Galapagos islands. "He had friends around the world," his wife said.
Moore owned a business named Aery, the term for an eagle's nest, that provided structured living for recovering alcoholics. He was a 33-year member of a 12-step program, his wife said.

A friend of Bill Moore wrote:

"Many times i hated hearing what Bill was trying to show/teach me, but in the end he was right. he was right cause it didn't come from his ego or was trying to show off.....he was right because he was coming from love. was doing it out of love. love for the alcoholic that still suffers. the ones that have reached "the moment of surrender" . the ones willing to go to any lengths. the ones in action. so we to can continue to help others and give what was so freely given to us as it was given to him. Bill Moore was the man that showed me how to love myself so i could love others. life will go on without him. because of him my life and the lives of countless people he helped out of the alcoholic hell......life will go on happy joyious and free."

Bill & Suzanne in Ghana

Bill and Suzanne Moore visited Ghana in November, 2007 for about ten days in order to share their messages of recovery with us. Their visit was an inspiration to hundreds of professionals and others in Ghana who are trying to find ways of overcoming addiction to alcohol and drugs. Bill brought a wealth of experience to Ghana in overcoming addiction but his love and enthusiasm for life in recovery impressed us most. Recovering alcoholics and their families were given a new hope. We received the message that there is not only hope but also dignity aplenty in recovery. While in Ghana Bill conducted numerous workshops, went on radio, attended 12-step meetings and carried the message of recovery to Wa. Bill was particularly helpful in developing our thinking on the establishment of a house for recovering alcoholics. Construction of the “Hopeful Way House” in Accra has been completed and is ready to take in up to twelve residents. Bill inspired us with his description of The Aery, a recovery house which he ran in Santa Rosa. Bill and Suzanne will be long remembered for their brief but inspirational visit to Ghana.

Submitted by
Dan O’Laughlin