The Wisdom of Uncle Babe

About the Book

This is a poignant coming-of-age story about a young black boy, who left his northern life behind to spend his high school years in rural Arkansas in the 1950s. This story shows how the love and gentle nurturing of an elderly couple and the community helped set the foundation for a remarkable journey of life, love, and self-reliance. The author shares with us simple wisdoms that have sustained him for over six decades. Readers, young and old, will be touched by the wisdom of Uncle Babe.

About the Author

After his time in Fordyce, Arkansas, the author, John C. Moore, returned to Toledo, Ohio with a high school diploma and little else. He quickly married, had a family, and began working at any job that came available. Starting work in the Toledo Trust bank stockroom handling deliveries was a turning point. Moore said that he called Toledo Trust for a year before they hired him for the stockroom job. From there, he moved up, achieved his BA degree at the University of Toledo, and after 19 promotions, went on to become a Vice President at what is now known as Key Bank. He later became interim vice president for university advancement at Bowling Green State University and went into semiretirement in 1998. You’d think his days working in the old Toledo Trust stockroom handling deliveries would be distant memories, but they are fresh in his mind. They remind him of what can come of hard work and determination, lessons he learned at the knees of his beloved Uncle Babe. Believing that he must always give back to the community he serves as a mentor and role model to minority youth in the greater Toledo, Ohio area in addition to his work as a consultant. He believes that minority youth especially young black men, still lack enough positive role models in their lives, much as was the case when he was coming of age in the 1950s. Moore has served on a wide variety of boards, including the Wood County Economic Development Board, the Bishop’s Educational Council for the Catholic Diocese of Toledo, Boys and Girls Clubs of Toledo, and the American Red Cross. He is a past Chairman of the Board of Owens Community College and has received numerous awards including the prestigious Richard N. Adams Educational Leadership Award and the African American Legacy Award. A widower, Moore is the author of two additional books: A Positive Attitude is a Muscle: A Managed Stress Survivor’s Manual, and Alvetta. This is his third book and his fourth is in progress. He resides in Holland, Ohio.