LONDON (AP) – Captain Tom Moore, the World War II veteran who entered the heart of a confined nation while tinkering with his garden to raise money for health care workers, died after a positive test for COVID-19. He was 100 years old.
His family announced his death on Twitter, posting a photo of him behind his walker in a happy moment, ready for an adventure.
“The last year of our father’s life was nothing short of remarkable. He was rejuvenated and experienced things he had always dreamed of, ”said the family statement. “Although he had been in so many hearts for a short time, he was an incredible father and grandfather, and he will remain alive in our hearts forever. ”
Captain Tom, as he became known in newspaper headlines and TV interviews, started raising £ 1,000 for Britain’s National Health Service by walking 100 laps in his backyard. But his search went viral and caught the attention of millions of people trapped at home during the first wave of the pandemic. Donations came from all over Britain and from places as far away as the United States and Japan, raising about 33 million pounds ($ 40 million).
For three weeks in April, fans were greeted with daily videos of Captain Tom, hunched over by age, obstinately pushing his walker into the garden. But it was his cheerful attitude during a dark moment that inspired people to look beyond sickness and loss.
“Always remember, tomorrow will be a good day,” said Moore in an interview during his walk, speaking the words that have become his trademark.
When Captain Tom completed his hundredth lap on April 16, a military honor guard took the way. The celebration continued on his birthday, a few days later, when two World War II-era fighter planes flew in honor. Moore, with a plaid blanket over his shoulders, raised his fist as they roared past.
In July, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at a socially distanced ceremony at Windsor Castle, west of London. The 94-year-old monarch used an impossibly long sword to confer honor while Moore, wearing his wartime medals on his chest, leaned on his walker, smiled and became Sir Tom.
“I am impressed with the many honors I have received in the past few weeks, but there is simply nothing to compare with that,” he tweeted after the ceremony. “I am filled with pride and joy.”
Queen Elizabeth II plans a private message of condolences to the family, said Buckingham Palace.
“His Majesty was delighted to meet Captain Sir Tom and his family in Windsor last year,” the palace said in a statement. “Her thoughts, and those of the royal family, are with them, recognizing the inspiration he has provided for the entire nation and others around the world.”
Flags were lowered at Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s office in Downing Street. The British leader described Moore as a “hero in the truest sense of the word”.
Born in Keighley, West Yorkshire, on April 30, 1920, Moore completed an apprenticeship in civil engineering before being drafted into the army during the first months of World War II. After being selected for officer training, he rose to the rank of captain while serving in India, Burma and Sumatra.
After leaving the army in 1946, Moore went to work for the family’s construction company. After the failure, he became a salesman and later a manager of building materials companies. When the concrete company he worked for was threatened with closure, Moore assembled a group of investors and bought it, preserving 60 jobs.
Along the way, he divorced his first wife and fell in love with his employer’s office manager, Pamela. The couple married, had two daughters and ended up retiring in Spain, but returned to England after Pamela Moore fell ill.
After his wife died in 2006, Moore moved to the village of Marston Moretaine in Bedfordshire to live with his youngest daughter, Hannah, and his family.
The former motorcycle rider slowed down at 98 after he fell and broke his hip in 2018. A walker replaced his Skoda Yeti, but he kept moving.
During a backyard barbecue in early April last year, Moore’s family challenged him to walk the entire length of the 25-meter (82-foot) sidewalk. After he reached the end, his son-in-law encouraged him to continue, offering to pay £ 1 for each lap and suggesting a goal of 100 laps by Moore’s 100th birthday.
The challenge grew from there.
Moore thought he could raise 1,000 pounds ($ 1,363) for the doctors and nurses who took care of him after he broke his hip, and his family used social media to publicize Captain Tom Moore’s “100-year walk to the NHS”. A local radio reporter called first, then national broadcasters. Soon, the international media was waiting outside the garden gate.
As he pushed his walker up and down the garden path, people facing the first pandemic blockade in the UK watched online. Soon, #TomorrowWillBeAGoodDay became a trend on Twitter.
“People told me there was something in my little walk that captured the hearts of those who were still in shock from the crisis,” wrote Moore in his autobiography. “With an increasing number of deaths and the prospect of months of confinement, everyone was desperate for good news. Apparently, a 99-year-old former Army captain who fought in Burma was recovering from a broken hip and doing his part for the NHS was just what they needed. ”
Prince Harry, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and dozens of celebrities cheered for him.
But it was the public that embraced Captain Tom, flooding the village post office with about 6,000 gifts and 140,000 birthday cards. Moore was amazed that someone spent 2 pounds ($ 2.74) on a card for him and then put on a mask to wait in the mail line to send it.
He was named an honorary member of the England cricket team, had a train named after him and was honored with the Freedom of the City of London award.
Moore liked the compliments, but kept his focus on others.
He dedicated his autobiography, “Tomorrow will be a good day”, to “all those who serve on the front lines of any battle – whether military, psychological or medical”.
In the end, Captain Tom urged the public to take care of each other and thanked the country he inspired for having inspired him.
“I felt a little frustrated and disappointed after I broke my hip and it shook my confidence,” he said after completing his walk. “However, the past three weeks have given my pace a boost. I renewed my purpose and profoundly enjoyed every second of this exciting adventure, but I cannot continue walking forever. “