James A. Moore, 64, a former member of the American Motorcycle Association who criss-crossed the country on frequent biking trips, died Monday, Feb. 11, in Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago after surgery for a heart valve replacement operation. Mr. Moore was born in Chicago and became involved with motorcycling when he was 35, said his wife, Diane Drupka-Moore. He once earned a plaque for logging more than 100,000 miles on his BMW bike, she said. His longest trip, taken with his wife about five years ago, was a three-week, 6,000-mile ride to Seattle and other cities, his wife recalled. “He loved to be on trips,” his wife said. “We went together. He would drive the bike and I would ride on the back. I don’t think there’s a state we didn’t hit, and I know there’s no state that he hasn’t been in.” “He was a very calm, patient, caring individual who liked his quiet moments,” she said. Mr. Moore worked as director of the engineering maintenance department at Children’s Memorial Hospital, retiring about two years ago. At home, he used his talent for fixing things to liven up the household, for example building a circuitry board and hooking it up to the doorbell so that it played holiday chimes at Christmas and spooky sounds around Halloween. “He very much liked to work with his hands,” his wife said. Additional survivors include a brother, Richard; and a sister, Nancy Schmidt. Mass was said Friday.
