Dr. David Ross Moir of St. Paul and School Section Lake (Kimball) died peacefully with his family by his side on Saturday, May 24, 2003. He was 84. His ashes were interred in a private ceremony on May 29 at Oakland Cemetery in St. Paul. His son Andy created an oaken urn made with his father’s tools; the urn was then painted with a woodland fern by his daughter-in-law Chris. The homemade urn represented Ross’ love of the forest and of woodworking, a skill he’ll be remembered for. He also will be remembered by friends in the Kimball area for his stories of exploring in the Hudson Bay area of Canada, his love of the outdoors and of all things mechanical, and his love of socializing and lifting a glass or two in friendship. At the May 29 celebration of his life at the St. Paul home of his daughter Judy, Joel Hasslen of Kimball made a moving tribute to Ross. Over the years Ross had developed a true and special friendship with Joel and many others in the Kimball area. The Hasslen, Maus, Jansky, Frank and Mayala-Lang families of Kimball, School Section Lake and Pearl Lake all honored Ross by attending the celebration of his life. David Ross Moir was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. He continued his education in Minnesota, receiving his Ph.D. in botany after doing research in the Hudson Bay area. He taught at the University of Minnesota and its Itasca State Park biological station, at North Dakota State University, was Dean of Science at Brandon University in Manitoba, and lectured at the University of Massachusetts. He later moved to St. Paul where he specialized in woodworking and doing bookkeeping for his wife Erin’s Merle Norman stores. Over a period of 20 years, the family lake place near Kimball became his second home. He planted and kept up several vegetable gardens (with the great help of son-in-law Steve). He loved to roar around in his beater trucks – many thanks to the neighbors for their forbearance. He was a strong-willed man whose friends will remember him for his deep curiosity for all details of life, his dry wit and his love for the natural world. Ross was preceded in death by his parents, all of his brothers and sisters, his step-grandson John McLaughlin, grandson William McLaughlin, and son-in-law Mike McLaughlin. He is survived by Erin, his wife of 59 years; children Judy McLaughlin of St. Paul; Donna Moir (and Steve Krambeer) of St. Paul; Brian Moir of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; Andy M oir (and Chris Callaghan) of Free-port, Nova Scotia, Canada; and Rita Moir of Winlaw, British Columbia, Canada; grandchildren David McLaughlin, Erin Moir Krambeer and Maggie Moir Krambeer; and the extended McLaughlin/Salay/Lasser clan of St. Paul and St. Cloud.
