La Crosse lost another legend on Friday.

Duane Moore — a Korean War veteran, one of the founders of Rotary Lights, the 1997 Festmaster for La Crosse’s Oktoberfest and a pillar of the community — passed away peacefully with family by his side at the age of 93.

Moore’s impact was a family affair — he, his wife Jan, and their son Chuck were known as a “quintessential fest family” who “just ate, lived and breathed Oktoberfest,” Terry Cowgill, the 2019 Festmaster said.

Chuck Moore, the 2015 Maple Leaf Parade Marshal, helped us remember his dad Friday, telling stories that included how he was a giant extrovert.

“Events would happen where they couldn’t find him to go home, because he’s down the road talking to people he didn’t know and the rest of the group is in a little circle talking amongst themselves,” Chuck Moore said. “And where’s Duane? He’s off down some place nobody knows talking to some guy he’d never met before.”

Other times, Duane would be off talking but everyone knew where he was — because it was during a parade with thousands in attendance.

“And then he said, ‘Why do I have to ride on the float? I want to march out front.’ So he goes jumping off the float and he’s running down the parade route and meeting people,” Chuck recalled. “Because Duane is a very much a people person. He doesn’t want to sit on a float and wave at people, he wants to run out and say ‘Hi, how you doing?’ and shake your hand.”

Duane had a passion for community.

“He was a champion for volunteerism,” Chuck said of his dad’s philosophy in life. “And if you just go to work and go home and watch TV, you’re wasting your life. You’ve got to go out and meet people and get involved.”

Other ways Duane got involved was preserving history. While Chuck mentioned he may have wanted to get rid of Oktoberfest’s unofficial mascot, King Gambrinus, he also wanted people to know the history of the event. Duane Moore authored the book, The Fest of Times: An Ein Prosit to the 50th Anniversary of Oktoberfest U.S.A.

“He emphasized that the book is a tribute to volunteers,” Brad Quarberg, the 2016 Maple Leaf Parade Marshal and the book’s editor, said. “And he said that in a lot of communities, a lot of people do things behind the scenes, and he wanted to make sure that volunteers were recognized. And he mentioned a few, but then talked about all the volunteers he was able to work with, not only through Oktoberfest, but through a number of other kinds of community events that he was active with.”

“It shows the power of what one single person can bring to this community,” Terry Cowgill, the 2019 Festmaster, added.

Duane Moore was also one of the founders of La Crosse’s legendary Rotary Lights, which has been a pillar of the community since 1994. His passing comes just weeks after another cherished La Crosse community member, Pat Stephens, passed away.

“They were titans of our community for sure,” Cowgill said.

“It’s a sad day, another sad day, that we’re losing another community icon who was instrumental in making the La Crosse area not only beautiful at Christmas, but also the things that was with helping feed the needy in the community,” Quarberg added. “And so, just two great, great leaders for our community who will be missed greatly.”