Community mourns after East Hope mayor passes away

Bud Moon was son of early-day area pioneers

SANDPOINT - East Hope Mayor Bud Moon loved Lake Pend Oreille, learning to swim in it when he was four or five years old.

“He just loved the lake and he didn't want to see it spoiled,” said his nephew, Doug Darling, who described him as a “great uncle” who was outgoing, friendly and visionary in his thinking.

He enjoyed restoring wooden boats, was on Panhandle State Bank's original board of directors and along with a couple of friends bought a military surplus cat to use at Schweitzer before the ski hill's first lodge was built, said Moon's nephew, Doug Darling.

Moon, 81, died Friday morning from lung cancer.

He was the son of Bonner County pioneers Hazel Rice Moon and Lawrence Gilman Moon Jr., who came to the area from Wisconsin in 1902, staying overnight at the Hope Hotel.

He was born on March 19, 1926, at Miss Finney's Lying in Hospital in Sandpoint.

His parents worked at a funeral home at 420 N. Third and Moon and two siblings grew up in the back room, he told Daily Bee columnist Bob Gunter in 2006.

Moon attended the Old Farmin School where US Bank is now located.

A Navy and World War II veteran, Moon attended boot camp at Farragut. Moon was a lifetime member of the VFW and American Legion.

After being discharged in 1946, he started college at the University of Idaho, but left after one semester when his father became ill and decided to also become a mortician like his father.

Moon married childhood sweetheart Betty Palmer on Dec. 26, 1946 and attended the San Francisco College of Mortuary Science. He then took over his father's business.

His wife died at age 42, leaving Moon to raise six children, Christine, Corine, Sally, Judy, Patrick and Pete. A year later his father died and Moon made the decision to sell the Moon Chapel in 1970, Darling said. He later married Susan Moon.

After selling the funeral home, Moon became involved in the Westwood Condominium development project, worked with Rotary Marine International on modified boat engines.

Moon and former Daily Bee publisher Pete Thompson signed a personal note to get money for building the Bonner County Museum. He also was part of the incorporation process for Panhandle State Bank, helping to get its stockholders together, Darling said.

He ran for Idaho Senate in 1972, was involved with writing the curriculum for Mt. Hood College in Gresham, Ore., helped rewrite mortuary laws for Idaho and also served on the East Hope city council.

When East Hope's former mayor Bob Harris died, Moon was serving on the council and was appointed mayor.

Hope resident Kathy Hubbard said Moon, attended this month's council meeting although he was quite ill. She said it will be difficult to replace his