Calera residents mourn loss of two local figures
Published 11:33 am Monday, October 26, 2009
City residents and officials are mourning a pair of weekend deaths at the Calera Fire Department and Timberline Golf Club.
Calera Fire Chief Tommy Moon, 57, and 63-year-old Larry Clayton, owner of Timberline Golf Club, died Oct. 24 and Oct. 25, respectively.
Moon had been with the department 33 years, and had served as the city’s fire chief for about 20 years. Clayton, a Helena resident, had owned the Calera golf club since 2001.
“We just had two great losses right here together,” said Calera Mayor George Roy, noting Moon had been battling pneumonia for about a month before his death. “It just wasn’t a good weekend.
“Tommy was one of the best leaders the city has ever had,” Roy said. “The firemen respected him, and we are going to miss him terribly.”
Timberline Head Golf Professional Joe Kruse said he and other employees at the club admired Clayton’s dedication to golfing.
“He was out here a lot. This place was his pride and joy,” Kruse said of Clayton. “He was dedicated to this place, and we all enjoyed working for him. We are all absolutely going to miss him.”