By Georgina Gustin
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
UNIVERSITY CITY, Mo. — Officer Julius Moore knew the inside of churches well. His father is a pastor, two of his uncles are pastors and the tradition of ministry reaches through his history.
“He comes from a praying family,” said Marie Willis, a cousin. “A blessed family.”
On Saturday morning that family said goodbye to the St. Louis police officer who found his life’s meaning in deep faith, but his life’s calling in police work.
Moore, 23, was driving his cruiser, on his way to help fellow city police officers thwart a burglary earlier this month, when he collided with a tractor-trailer that pinned his car against a brick wall on South Broadway near the Anheuser-Busch InBev brewery. He was rushed to the hospital but never regained consciousness. His family authorized his removal from life support nine days later.
“Julius always wanted to be a police officer. He was living his life’s passion,” Police Chief Dan Isom said minutes before Moore’s funeral. “He served well in the short time he’s had. ... I’m saddened we weren’t able to protect him from his fate.”
Isom continued, “Julius Moore is part of our police family, and we’ll be here forever as part of his family.”
Hundreds filed into the City of Life Christian Church just after 10 a.m. Among them were Moore’s wife and three children, all under the age of five. Eight police officers carried his casket into the church, where Isom spoke and Officer John Leggette sang the gospel hymn “His Eye Is on the Sparrow.”
Moore’s favorite scripture — John 14:1-3 — opened the ceremony, and a eulogy by Bishop Arthur Kelly of Greater Faith Missionary Baptist Church closed the service. Police officers from both sides of the Mississippi River stood in rank, saluting Moore to the music of bagpipes as the casket was carried out of the church.
“It was beautiful,” said Kelly Underwood of Kirkwood, also a cousin, echoing the thoughts of many mourners as they left the service. “I’d never been to a police funeral before.”
Patricia Miller, a friend of the family’s from north St. Louis, said: “This young man touched so many people. He lived a spiritual life. He spoke the word on the streets. He spoke about life, not death. He walked in his purpose and destiny. For him, this is homecoming.”
Copyright 2009 St. Louis Post-Dispatch