Man killed in Bloomfield accident was veteran Bergen attorney

Gary Moore had been practicing criminal and family law out of his private practice in Hackensack for decades before his death on Monday

Gary Moore

MONTCLAIR - A man killed after being struck by a car in Bloomfield Monday was a veteran attorney who friends and former colleagues recalled as equally dedicated to his clients as his loved ones.

Gary Moore, who was 68, practiced law in North Jersey for more than four decades, beginning with stints as a public defender in Essex and Bergen counties, representing clients charged with all manner of offenses. He left that post in 1980 for a job with the Newark-Essex Joint Law Reform Project, helping tenants conduct rent strikes as they sought to fight back against predatory landlords, according to a biography on his law office' website.

After less than a year, however, he returned to Hackensack, where he settled into his own practice on Mercer Street, taking on both criminal and family cases. Before long, he had met Nora Meeha, an employee with the state's Division of Youth and Family Services who struck up a friendship during Moore's frequent visits while representing children who had been declared wards of the state.

Though the job was often emotionally draining, Meehan said she could count on the jovial attorney to lighten her mood.

"He was a very kind and concerned, caring person. He cared about the children that he represented in court, and he had a wonderful sense of humor," she said.

A native of Atlantic City, he attended Rutgers and eventually found his way to law school at the university's Newark campus. It was there that he met Matt Catania, who would become a nearly lifelong friend.

The two reunited as co-workers in the Bergen County public defender's office, and remained close even as they their careers took them to different cities. During their frequent conversations, Moore often concentrated on his wife and two daughters, sharing their accomplishments with pride.

"He was a great friend, a good attorney, a person with a sense of history and humanity," Catania said.

Moore and his family eventually settled into a home in Montclair's First Ward, where the health-conscious attorney would often rise before the sun to take walks around his neighborhood.

Monday was no exception, as police say Moore was leaving a local bagel shop on Broad Street in Bloomfield just after 6 a.m. when he was fatally struck by a Toyota Corolla. The driver remained on scene and has not been charged, according to authorities.

Meehan said she had fallen out of touch with her longtime friend since her retirement two years ago, but was shocked to hear of his passing after turning on the news Monday evening.

She immediately recalled their many conversations over lunch at Miyoshi Japanese Restaurant in Hackensack - a favorite of Moore's next door to his office, where the two often kept up after a chance meeting.

"He loved that restaurant," she said with a laugh. "We would just sit and talk about anything."

Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.