Maurice RIGDON

Maurice “Moose Face” Rigdon March 14, 1925 — Nov. 4, 2011 On the morning of Nov. 4, just before sunrise, the sun set on the life of Maurice “Moose Face” Rigdon, one of Havasu’s true pioneers. Moose came to Lake Havasu in 1966, and was the first manager of the first grocery store in town, Claypools Market. That is when I met him. For the next three years, he was my boss and why he never fired me, I will never know. Moose was full of energy. He did everything at double-time with a large cigar clamped in his teeth. It didn’t take long for everyone in town to know him and appreciate the extra mile he would go for his customers, who soon became fast friends. There wasn’t a crystal ball big enough to see that Moose was going to be a large part of my family’s life for the next 46 years. You see my mother, Wanda Kingsbury, was also one of Claypools’ first employees. Some eight years later, Sept. 25, 1973, Moose became my stepfather. Mom and Moose spent the next 14 years in Colorado Springs, Colo. Moose was part owner and manager of Bowl Mor Lanes where he started the first bowling program in Colorado Springs. He was a charter member of the Colorado Springs Bowling Hall of Fame and later was voted into the Colorado State Bowling Hall of Fame. In 1987, Moose and mom moved back to Lake Havasu. Moose retired from the work force but not from living. Moose was born on March 14, 1925, in Brownstown, Ill. He moved to Cripple Creek, Colo., at an early age where he grew up in the shadow of the Old West. Immediately after graduating high school in 1943, he joined the Army to serve his country. After boot camp, he was sent to Panama to guard the Canal until the end of the World War II. After the war, Moose enrolled in Western State College in Gunnison, Colo., where he received his bachelor’s degree. It is impossible to sum of the life of a man that has lived so long and done so much. To say he will be missed is too obvious. I think right now he is still with us, in some way, trying to comfort us in our loss. As mom said this morning, he liked to say, “Life is hard by the yard, but a cinch by the inch.” For you, Moose, we will add up the yards until we meet again. Moose is survived by his wife of 38 years, Wanda Rigdon, of Lake Havasu City; stepsons, Rick and Steve Kingsbury, both of Lake Havasu City; a stepdaughter, Tammy Hunt, of Austin, Texas; seven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren; brother, Roger Rigdon, of Coronado, Calif., and George Rigdon, of Colorado Springs, Colo.; seven nieces, nephews; and a plethora of friends. Memorial services will be Tuesday, at 2 p.m., at Lietz-Fraze Chapel. Pastor Chad Garrison will offer words of comfort and inspiration.

Maurice RIGDON

November 4, 2011