Bob Moore, owner of the former Milo Williams Jewelers stores, was a dedicated merchant in downtown Butler who also loved designing and driving race cars. He died Monday at the age of 72 following a battle with cancer.

The jewelry store was in Moore’s family for 100 years until he closed it in 2008, said his wife, Joyce Emigh Moore.

The business was started by a relative who sold it to Moore’s father who passed it down to him, she said. The store had two locations — 114 S. Main St. in Butler and in the Clearview Mall — when it closed.

“His dad bought it from his cousin then Bob inherited it from his dad. It’s been in the family the whole time, around 100 years,” Emigh Moore said.

As a member and one-time president of the Downtown Business Association, Moore helped with the Christmas lights that decorated Main Street.

“He helped put the lights up and take the lights down in the middle of the night, in the middle of the winter.” Emigh Moore said. “He replaced the bulbs and repaired wiring. He wanted Main Street to be successful and he wanted it to look nice to attract shoppers.”

After he retired and closed the business, Moore would open the gate in front of the vacant Main Street shop for Christmas and decorate the storefront window so it would look nice for the shopping season and the annual Christmas parade.

“He did it even after he got cancer. He did it up until this past year. He opened the gate on the store so it didn’t look closed,” Emigh Moore said.

While he was running the business, Moore employed and trained his nephew, Steve Goslaw, and Emigh Moore’s brother, Bob Emigh, who both went on to open their own jewelry shops.

“Bob trained both of them. They worked with Bob for years before opening their own stores. He passed along his values, the importance of customer service. Milo Williams was famous for customer service,” she said.

He was also passionate about designing and racing late model stock cars at Lernerville Speedway in Buffalo Township.

“He was mechanical. He could discuss the intricacies of mechanics in detail. He designed his own car. He was constantly working at maintaining his car, making it lighter and faster. His idea in racing was go like hell and turn left,” she said.

Another passion was traveling west to Colorado, Montana and Wyoming to explore old mountain trails in an off-road vehicle. He relished finding old gold mines, mountain peaks and old mountain roads.

“When he was on the top of the mountain he was just filled with joy,” Emigh Moore said.

The business owner, racer and mountaineer had a softer side.

“We rescued cats,” Emigh Moore said. “Cats kept finding him.”

He took the cats to a veterinarian and fed and cared for them, she said. They sometimes had as many as four cats, and they cared for a stray dog that lost one of its legs, she said.

“What I’ll miss most, he focused on me,” Emigh Moore said.

He made her tea in the morning even when they were away from home, and made sure her car was filled with the proper amount of oil.

“He had a good way of making me feel safe and cared for,” she said.

Denny Glasgow, of the former Butler County Ford in Butler, was a member of the business association and helped Moore and others with the Christmas lights, which were stored in the dealership.

“Bob ran it for I don’t know how many years,” Glasgow said. “He was in charge then I started helping. We always found a way to get it done for Christmas. He cared about downtown.

“Bob and I did so much through the years, and just had a good time doing it. I’m going to miss him.”

He said Moore excelled at backing a large truck into the dealership garage to pick up the lights.

Jim Lockhaiser, who worked with the city’s Renaissance Commission in the 1970s, knew and respected Moore.

“He ran the store well and was well liked. He was very concerned with the downtown area,” Lockhaiser said. “Bob was just a super nice individual. He was nice to be around and I always appreciated him.”

Vince Tavolario, who owns the Natili North restaurant in Butler, was chairman of the Renaissance Commission in the 1990s and served with Moore.

“He's just a great guy. He was so involved in the community. He always volunteered his time to help the community,” Tavolario said. “It’s a real loss for our town.”

He said he and Moore would meet to discuss ways to help the downtown business district. He said he also knew Moore’s father.

Butler engineer and property owner Joe Gray said he too helped Moore with the Christmas lights.

The work to install the lights begins at 5 a.m. Volunteers including Moore would prepare the lights so a crew from Armstrong could hang them on utility poles using a bucket truck.

“He was really quite a guy, It’s sad to see him go,” Gray said.

He said he used to own the building where Milo Williams is located, and he said he always thought highly of the way Moore maintained the building and decorated it for Christmas even after he closed the business.