Farm Leader Commits Suicide at 69

Farm industry leader David Moore, president of Irvine-based Western Growers Assn., fatally shot himself in the head Wednesday morning, according to police reports.

He was 69.

Moore was an influential voice in agriculture, advocating for the group’s 3,500 fruit and vegetable growers and shippers in Sacramento and in Washington.

Moore had served as president of Western Growers since 1987. But his roots were in the potato fields of the San Joaquin Valley.

A second-generation farmer, he operated White Wolf Potato Co. and grew a variety of other crops, such as cotton, almonds, citrus and wheat, after graduating from USC and serving in the Air Force.

He had served as a director of the Federal Reserve Bank’s Los Angeles branch and was a 12-year member of the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee for Trade.

He also served on the Kern County Water Resources Board from 1978 to 1987.

David Gill, chairman of Western Growers, described Moore as a vivacious and dynamic personality.

Colleagues discovered his body and a suicide note in his Irvine office Wednesday morning. He had shot himself in the head with a .45-caliber revolver, according to police.

Detectives said the death is still under investigation.

He is survived by his wife, Priscilla, five children and 11 grandchildren.

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Times wire services contributed to this story.