Chicago Tribune - August 19, 2005
Josh Noel, Tribune staff reporter

When he moved to Chicago about eight years ago, Mr. Moore continued working with computers even though they were just a way to get by and far from his truest loves: art, theater, music, fashion, food and culture.

"He more than made up for it in his leisure time," friend Alicia Baylina said. "Every weekend he would go to a classical concert on Friday, another concert on Saturday and live theater Sunday. Not to mention a couple really nice restaurants during the week and maybe a play."

Mr. Moore, 36, who loved sharing his pursuits with a wide network of friends, died of respiratory failure brought on by AIDS on Sunday, Aug. 14, at Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care.

Since learning he had HIV in 1997, Mr. Moore had largely shunned treatment and he had avoided medication for the last seven years, Baylina said.

Though not shy about discussing the disease, he did not discuss his decision regarding treatment.

"It's something we've all been asking ourselves and we're frustrated by it," friend Jennifer Tobin said. "I respect it, but I don't understand it. He wouldn't talk about it."

Until June, Mr. Moore had led an active life, owning season tickets to the Lyric Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, Court Theatre and Lookingglass Theater (this sentence as published has been corrected in this text). He dined out often, favoring both expensive restaurants and less expensive ethnic fare. He often tapped his network of friends to accompany him on his outings.

"He was a good friend to have," Tobin said.

Mr. Moore, whom friends said had a dry--and sometimes caustic but never cruel--wit, developed an interest in arts education, donating money to a Chicago Opera Theater program that buses underprivileged kids to performances. His friends are creating a fund for the program in his honor.

"He loved the idea of getting kids excited about the opera," Tobin said. "He had a privileged upbringing and was exposed to art and music at a young age and felt it was critical to someone's development."

Mr. Moore was born in Omaha in 1968. He traveled through Europe extensively as a child with his grandmother and graduated from Lake Forest College. When he moved back to the Chicago area, he settled in the Ravenswood neighborhood.

It was there that on Sept. 11, 2001, he met Baylina. Both had been watching TV coverage of the day's terrorist attacks and wanted to be surrounded by other people. They found each other in a bar, talked for five hours and agreed to meet for dinner later in the week.

"When you have a connection with someone, you open up, especially on a day like that," she said. "We became fast friends."

Mr. Moore did not show AIDS symptoms until about six months before his death, Baylina said. Survivors include his mother, Mari Nittler; a sister, Megan Evenson; and a niece.

A private service will be held this weekend. A public service is being planned.

*This story contains corrected material.

jbnoel@tribune.com
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