Fiesta and the Order lose a legend.
When preparing content for the Order’s website I always strive to remain objective despite knowing the people I write about and their volunteer activities on behalf of the FSAC. But not this time. This one has to be subjective because Don Moye was, to me, not only a close personal friend but also a mentor, guide and shining example of goodness for the sake of others.
Himself an early (1993) inductee into the Order of the Cascaron, Don asked me to serve as his Presidential Appointee three years later when he was elected FSAC President. You can imagine his genuine sense of pride when, in 1996, the Order’s two inductees were myself and the late Frank Butler, another founder of the Zulu Association’s popular and hugely successful Fiesta event, A Taste of New Orleans.
Working closely together all during 1996, I was able to observe Don in his official public capacity and also during our many private one-on-one conversations. In choosing a path to take, Don’s guiding principle was to always favor the option that was best for Fiesta and the FSAC despite whatever toll that might take of his personal time, attention and stamina.
As Marsha Hendler so accurately said of Don, when she and I first learned of his death, “He was always the best at giving all he possibly could, with no expectation of any recognition or reward in return.” I wish I could give him, here and now, more of the tribute he earned and deserves than these few words can possibly convey.