More detail on this person: Robert Moore, 76 Kitok's founder, 76, dies; Korean-American restaurant known nationwide Waco Tribune-Herald (TX) - Monday, September 1, 2003 Longtime Waco restaurateur Robert Moore once sponsored 19 Korean immigrants out of his own pocket to come to the United States. The immigrants were relatives of his wife, Kitok, and lived for free with the two in their 2,600-square-foot house until they were able to find their own homes. It was an act family members point to as one of his greatest accomplishments, and an example of his giving nature. Funeral services will be held this morning for Moore, who founded the popular Kitok's Restaurant with his wife. Moore, 76, died Friday in his Waco residence. He had been suffering from lung cancer and pulmonary fibrosis. "For a man his age and military background and everything, there was a real soft side to him that was really very special," said the Rev. Joe Loughlin, Moore's pastor of four years at Harris Creek Baptist Church. Moore served 26 years as a helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army, and it was during his time in Korea that he met his wife. In 1976, the two opened Kitok's Restaurant, which eventually became known nationwide for its mixture of American and Korean foods. But it was an idea friends say Moore was slow to warm up to. "It was actually his wife's idea, and when she told him she was going to open a hamburger place, he told her she was crazy," said Clifton Karnei, Moore's next-door neighbor. Moore sold the restaurant last year because his illness prevented his full attention to the business. Family and friends describe Moore as a lover of the arts and sports - he spent some of his younger years as minor-league pitcher - who had a great sense of humor. Karnei recalled that after Moore introduced him to golf, he often quipped about taking pleasure in the fact that he'd acquainted his neighbor with a sport that would cost a lot of money. Moore's son, Robert Moore Jr., said his father's time in the military allowed his family to travel around the world. His brother, John Moore, and sister, Anna L. Hodges, were both born in Germany, while the younger Robert was the only sibling actually born in the United States. His father's military background also provided for a strict upbringing, although Robert Jr. and his siblings figured out how to get around their father's rigid discipline. Sense of humor "We always knew that if we could just get him laughing, we wouldn't be in trouble or anything," Robert Moore Jr. said. "He could always see the humor in everything." He also said his father loved to bring his family together, as was the case for the elder Moore's last birthday in early August. The family threw a party and relatives came from across the country to celebrate. "He had all his friends here, and my sister and my brother and I," Robert Moore Jr. said. "It's been a long time since we were all together at the same time."
Burial information: Waco Memorial Park, Waco, TX
This information was last updated 08/09/2019
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