LDS soldier dies in helicopter crash
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A Jan. 7 Black Hawk helicopter crash claimed the life of an LDS soldier near Tal Afar, Iraq.
Killed was: 1st Lt. Joseph D. deMoors, 36, of Jefferson, Ala.
Brother deMoors was among eight U.S. soldiers and four civilians who died in the crash supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom that included fellow Church member 1st Lt. Jaime Krausse Campbell. (See Jan. 14, 2006, Church News, page 7.) The incident is still under investigation, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
A returned missionary, Brother deMoors is survived by his wife, Vendella Howard deMoors, along with their two sons and a daughter: Moroni, 14; Demetrius, 10; and Chastity, 8. Another son, Gabriel, preceded his father in death.
Brother deMoors is the son of Joseph and Danielle deMoors Lanthier.
A native of Canada and a dual citizen of the United States, Brother deMoors was baptized when he was 8, a year after his mother joined the Church.
"He was a very kind, soft-(spoken), intellectual boy," said his mother, Sister Lanthier.
The oldest of eight children, Brother deMoors was drawn to sports and had hoped to compete in the Olympics. He excelled in speed walking and martial arts.
Brother deMoors served in the North Carolina Raleigh Mission from 1988-1990, then attended college in Utah and Alabama. He planned to parlay his undergraduate degree in political science for a future career in politics. He joined the U.S. Army and completed officer training and looked forward to attending graduate school, Sister Lanthier said.
He cherished any time he could spend with his family.
"His children were very important to him," Sister Lanthier said. "He loved them very, very much."
Brother de Moors was assigned to the Army's 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armory Calvary Regiment at the time of his death. He had been deployed in Iraq for a year and was scheduled to return home in about a month.
Funeral services and burial were expected to take place in Georgia.
E-mail to: jswensen@desnews.com
