David Moore

A. David Moore

It is with great sorrow that we announce the death of A. David Moore at the age of 84. David enjoyed a peaceful retirement following a lengthy career in high technology, but recently suffered a decline in his health and died peacefully in Almonte General Hospital. He will always be loved and remembered by his wife of 55 years, Anne, his daughter Rebecca and his son Daniel. (His daughter, Naomi, passed away five years ago). He will also be sorely missed by his grandsons, Owen and Oliver Moore, and Kieran, Aiden and Samuel McDonald, and by his sister, Beatrice (Paul).

David was born in Harrow, Middlesex, UK. He suffered most of his life from epilepsy and was considered unteachable at the age of 15 when he was asked to leave school. However, he then went on to earn a First Class Honour’s degree in Electronic Engineering from the University of Bradford, UK. Early in his career he became deeply interested in the, then nascent, semiconductor industry whilst working at Plessey Semiconducters in Swindon, UK. He developed a reputation as a talented designer whose integrated circuits combined creativity with sound mathematics and a solid understanding of the technology when the rules and limits of the technology were largely unknown,

In 1971 he was recruited by Microsystems International Limited and moved to Ottawa with his young family. David continued to design many new linear IC products until the demise of MIL in 1975. He then created and became President of Siltronics, along with a small group of other, talented design engineers. He oversaw the profitable growth of Siltronics, during which time he was responsible for the design and

development of many groundbreaking products, from the very first micro-electronic telephone handset, to a talking doll for Fisher Price (featured on Quirks and Quarks), to analog components for an early version of the US Patriot air defense system, and many others.

Siltronics became a public company in 1983, but suffered badly in the semiconductor recession that occurred in 1985 and the Black Monday stock exchange collapse of 1987 and folded that year.

David then went on to become a valued design engineering consultant for Motorola in Geneva, Switzerland, and commuted every few weeks between Ottawa and Geneva. He retired at the age of 72 in 2012.

David was a cultured and intellectual man and had many interests. He taught himself several languages, including Arabic. He was a short wave radio amateur and built himself several radio towers on his property, including one which is over 100 feet high. He was an avid cyclist and was still cycling 15 km’s a day into his early 80’s.

There will be a Celebration of Life for David on the 14th of July between 2 pm and 5 pm at his daughter, Rebecca’s house, 117, Inniskillin, Carp, On., K0A 1L0.

All are welcome.