Clinton Pays Tribute To District Judge

Former President Bill Clinton speaks during a memorial service for Fayetteville District Judge Rudy Moore on Saturday, April 13, 2013, inside the Fayetteville High School Performing Arts Center. Moore, 69, died on Thursday.

Former President Bill Clinton speaks during a memorial service for Fayetteville District Judge Rudy Moore on Saturday, April 13, 2013, inside the Fayetteville High School Performing Arts Center. Moore, 69, died on Thursday.

Sunday, April 14, 2013

FAYETTEVILLE — Former President Bill Clinton compared Rudy Moore to a “man of amazing grace.”

“In all the trials and tribulations we had, I saw him get mad, but never raise his voice,” Clinton said. “He acted better than I did under extreme stress.”

Clinton spoke Saturday during a memorial service honoring Moore at the Fayetteville High School’s Performing Arts Center.

Friends and family nearly filled the auditorium, which seats roughly 800 people.

Moore, 69, who died Thursday, was a Fayetteville district judge, attorney for the Fayetteville School District, a former School Board member, served in the state Legislature and was a longtime friend to Clinton.

Cassandra Hernandez sang “Amazing Grace” before Clinton walked on stage. Clinton said the song was a fitting tribute to Moore.

“I like coming on to ‘Amazing Grace’ because it reminds me of how happy I was when Rudy became judge.

“Those of us who were touched by him will never forget him and forever be grateful,” he said.

Moore served on Clinton’s administration as campaign manager during the 1978 governor’s race and chief of staff in the governor’s office.

Clinton said he saw judge-like qualities in Moore early on.

“Even then, he was required by his friendship to me and his responsibility, to judge me when I did well and when I messed up,” he said. “I did a lot of both. He was a good judge because he always had grace.”

David Williams, CEO of Ozark Guidance, said he and Moore were friends for about 40 years. Moore filed the articles of incorporation for the mental health center and was its attorney until leaving to join Clinton’s staff. The two also shared a love of running.

“It’s true that we put in lots of miles of walks and talks,” Williams said. “I’d say the number of miles we walked and talked in a decade would be equivalent to walking coast to coast two or three times. While that walking and talking was good for us physically, it had the biggest impact on our friendship.”

Williams said the two started walking after Moore lost his son, Matthew Moore, a senior in high school, to a car wreck 20 years ago.

He said Moore talked often about his love for his wife, Rhonda Moore, along with his daughter, Kristen Clark and two sons, Jason Moore and Ross Clark.

“We learned a lot about being mad, sad and glad together,” he said. “We learned that it was OK to be mad at life’s injustices, sad about life’s threats and glad about life’s beauty. Rudy and I were like the brothers neither of us had. He made me a better man.”