SAN JOSE – South Bay civil rights leader Rev. Jethroe “Jeff” Moore II died Thursday, according to friends and family.
Moore served as president of the San Jose/Silicon Valley NAACP and often weighed in on policing issues such as whether to equip sheriff’s deputies with stun guns.
Close friend Rick Callender, CEO of Valley Water and president of the California/Hawaii NAACP Conference, said he last heard from Moore on Thursday morning, when Moore sent him pictures of his family. Callender responded and when he didn’t hear back right away, he figured his friend was just busy.
When Callender called later in the day, Moore’s wife picked up and shared the heartbreaking news.
“It’s a loss,” Callender said. “I’m losing a friend. I’m losing a brother. I’m losing someone who had dinner at my house and prayed with me. That’s the hardest part.”
The cause of Moore’s death has not been confirmed, Callender said.
Moore was set to step down as president of the San Jose/Silicon Valley NAACP next month, Callender said. He could not run for re-election after relocating to Georgia.
“Jeff decided he couldn’t afford a house out here, so he got a house out there,” Callender said, adding that Moore made trips to the Bay Area to carry out his duties as president.
In a post to Moore’s Facebook page, Moore’s brother, Rodney Moore, thanked people for reaching out and said the family would make a more formal comment in the coming days.
“Right now our attention is centered around supporting his wife and children, and our mother,” he said. “I know that my brother would allow all of us to mourn for a moment, and then get back to the work of fighting for the causes to which he so faithfully dedicated his life.”
News of Moore’s death sent shockwaves through the South Bay.
“Rev. Moore was a tireless advocate and an unapologetic champion for racial and social justice, particularly for the African-American community,” Supervisor Susan Ellenberg said in a statement. “He kept us all accountable for working to right the many wrongs inflicted on Black Americans over the course of many centuries.”
Ellenberg said she and Moore worked together and shared “deep conversations about race, religion, politics and life generally.”
“His texts and messages offered a voice of conscience in my ear and he became a good friend to me,” Ellenberg said. “This is a devastating blow to the entire community.”
Born in Norfolk, Va., Moore attended Silver Creek High School in San Jose and later earned an Associate of Arts degree from Evergreen Valley College and a Bachelor of Science degree in bible and theology, management and ethics from San Jose Christian College, according to a biography posted on the NAACP website.
Moore is survived by his wife and two children.
Check back for updates.