Bob's Red Mill Founder Bob Moore Has Died

Bob Moore, founder of the popular natural foods company Bob's Red Mill, passed away in his home on February 10. He was 94 years old and still a board member of the company he launched in 1978 to provide milled whole grains and healthy food options for consumers in Portland, Oregon. The company grew quickly, becoming an icon of healthy eating across the globe with a current stable of more than 200 products and distribution in 70-plus countries.

Moore was a man of great passion, a strong work ethic, and wide-ranging generosity, according to current Bob's Red Mill CEO Trey Winthrop. On this 81st birthday, Moore established the Employee Stock Ownership Plan, resulting in today's 700 employees owning the company. In a news release, Winthrop notes that Moore left them on a steady forward path, with all employees and board members desiring to continue Moore's "old-world approach to unprocessed foods" as well as his commitment to pure, high-quality ingredients and support of organizations that foster nutritional health.

A service celebrating the life of Bob Moore will be planned and announced, but those local to the Portland area are invited to honor his life and share memories by dropping by the Bob's Red Mill Grain Store. It's located less than 15 minutes from the center of downtown Portland, in the suburb of Milwaukie, Oregon.

With a remaining devotion to accessible, wholesome eating even after transferring ownership of Bob's Red Mill to company employees, Moore worked alongside his wife, Charlee, to ensure future generations have resources to continue their passion. The back-to-roots style of eating they both advocated enjoys continued support at Oregon State University's College of Health and Human Sciences, where the couple funded the Moore Family for Whole Grain Foods, Nutrition, and Preventive Health.

Various Oregon-based research programs were established by the Moores, whose contributions also fostered an institute named for them within the Oregon Health & Science University. The Bob and Charlee Moore Institute for Nutrition & Wellness, referred to as simply "The Moore Institute," states a core commitment to establishing whole-foods diets over an entire lifespan, starting before conception and continuing through early childhood.

Bob's Red Mill continues to honor Moore's values, even reducing its food waste by more than 70% by 2022. The current product line includes extensive paleo-friendly and gluten-free options, most notably within the wide range of baking flours such as almond, rice, and tapioca flours. A long string of comments on Instagram regarding Moore's death thank him for making gluten-free products that changed their lives, calling him a "hero to bakers everywhere" who built a company based on "values and heart." One Instagram poster noted that Moore "will always have a seat at our collective dining room tables."