William (Bill) Louis Moreno Jr., passed away at his home in Buford, Ga., June 27 after a long illness. A beloved family man who spent his career in the travel industry, he was a military historian, an avid, award-winning gamer and small business owner. He was 62.
Born Feb. 28, 1961 in Rockland County, N.Y., he spent his youth living in a variety of locations, including abroad, as the eldest child in an Army family. The biggest part of his life was spent in Huntsville, Ala., south and central Florida, and the Atlanta metro area.
Bill is survived by his wife Barbara Terry-Moreno of Buford, Ga.; his step-son James Terry and his wife, Susan, along with their children, Kenneth and Jessica, of Suwanee, Ga.; step-daughter Staci and her husband Grey O’Hara, of Kissimmee, Fla.; his mother Nancy Jones of Fayetteville, Tenn.; his sister, Vicki Richardson and her husband, Dale, and sons, Josh and Daniel, of Fayetteville, Tenn.; his sister, Michele Moreno-Myers and her husband Richard, of Monahans, Texas; his sister, Melissa Carpenter and her husband Nick, and their children, Robbie, Gabby, Nicholas, and Cameron of Bluffton, S.C.; along with numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, in-laws, and friends, many of them life-long friends.
Bill was an avid player of sports and excelled in academics, graduating from Butler High School in Huntsville, Ala., in 1979. He studied at the University of Alabama and earned a BA in history from Florida Atlantic University in 2011. With a 4.0 GPA, he was inducted into the National History Honor Society, Phi Alpha Theta. He was director of strategic sales at the travel industry’s Amadeus North America, where he worked from 1987 to 2021.
He was an insightful conversationalist, no matter the topic, and loved to make people laugh. Always courteous, ever polite and polished, his company was always highly enjoyable.
Bill, who as a young boy enjoyed chess, was an avid reader even as a young man. That would continue throughout his life, but history was his favorite reading material, with a particular interest in the Civil War. Years later he would learn that a distant great-grandfather on his maternal side fought for the Union with the 144th Infantry in that war, something that made him quite proud. Bill was an active participant in re-enactments, and was fond of recreating memorable battle scenes in miniature, all painstakingly painted with accuracy a key component. That would lead to a small business venture in the gaming industry.
Bill’s passion was gaming, where he excelled. He was a prolific writer for the historical gaming hobby and gifted speaker. Those who know him said he lived for the hobby and was well-respected in the community. An active participant for some 35 years, he was an Historical Miniatures Gaming Society (HMGS) Legion of Honor recipient as a leader, promoter and organizer. His miniatures of epic battles spanned multiple wars, including the American Revolution, the Mexican-American War, Crimea, the Civil War, WWI and WWII. He won numerous “Best of Show” awards at HMGS events nationwide.
Taking his hobby a step further, Bill owned, produced and marketed several historical figure lines, as well as other gaming products, through his small business, Good Ground LLC, maker of Cracker Line Miniatures.
The world is a lesser place without him in it, and his extended family has lost one of its pillars, an unshakeable, dependable, loving, and yes, very handsome man who, like his father, did not look his age.
The fond memories of those left behind are the true, living legacy of the departed, and no doubt there are many such joyous memories of Bill and the way he made everyone’s life better. Those memories are held by family, friends and associates alike. He will be with us whenever we smile thinking about laughs we shared. And we will fight back tears over tender, loving moments that will live on in our thoughts.
There will be a tribute to Bill at HISTORICON ’23 in Lancaster, Pa., July 19-23, 2023, as well as HURRICON ’23 in Kissimmee, Fla., Sept. 21-24, 2023. The tribute by those in the gaming hobby is not surprising, since Bill was considered a “rock star” in the wargaming community, and he inspired many people.
The funeral is July 7, 2023, and viewing is the evening before, July 6, at Hazel Green Funeral Home in Hazel Green, Ala. The family welcomes flowers for the funeral and/or the viewing. Donations can also be made to the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) in Bill’s name.
