Moon—Brian “Eric” Moon, 77, on March 8, 2025, from a stroke, in Chicago, Ill. Eric was born on April 13, 1947, to Marvin and Irma Ruth Hargis Moon in Dodge City, Kans. His family moved to Texas and then to Ogden, Utah, where he finished high school and started college.
Eric served as a noncombatant in the U.S. Army from 1967 to 1970, mostly in Vietnam, where he learned the language. A Vietnamese man saved Eric’s life by helping Eric find his way when he was lost in the jungle. His fellow servicemen called Eric a traitor. Eric’s pondering of their reaction versus his appreciation to his Vietnamese friend was a pivotal moment for Eric.
Eric came into possession of a copy of The Journal of John Woolman, which he read and reread. When he returned home to Utah he attended Logan Meeting and became a member in 1976. He was active in quarterly and yearly meetings, serving as clerk of College Park Quarterly Meeting in 1979.
In 1979, Eric moved to Reno, Nev., to take a position with American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). He focused on eliminating the death penalty, organizing vigils at the time of executions. Henry Schwarzschild of the American Civil Liberties Union’s national office became a mentor.
Eric transferred his membership to Reno (Nev.) Meeting in 1979. He eventually moved to Berkeley, Calif., where he worked at the Ecumenical Peace Institute. He attended Berkeley Meeting, transferring his membership in 1981. Eric remained a member for the rest of his life.
Eric had met Laura Magnani at quarterly and yearly meetings years before. In Berkeley, they began dating and moved in together. In 1982, their son, Zachary, was born. Two years later the family became caretakers of Berkeley Meeting. When the couple parted ways two years later, Eric moved to the New Life Farm in Lodi, Calif.
Eric longed to live nearer to his son, and, in 1991, again worked for AFSC in San Francisco, Calif. He became resident host at the meetinghouse on Lake Street. Though he maintained his membership in Berkeley Meeting, Eric attended worship regularly in nearby meetings. He was remembered for his messages during worship.
Although he didn’t finish college, Eric was an avid reader and scholar, especially in the fields of botany and religious history. His study of botany led him to become a Master Gardener. He enjoyed taking people on walks, expounding on the trees and flowers along the way.
Eric considered himself a “tourist in religious traditions.” He led talks and workshops for faith-based audiences inside and outside of Quakerism. Eric clerked Berkeley Meeting, College Park Quarterly Meeting, and Pacific Yearly Meeting and was active on committees. He represented San Francisco Meeting at Friends Committee on National Legislation and Friends General Conference. He was a dedicated volunteer in the Alternatives to Violence Program, traveling long distances to a women’s prison in the Central Valley.
In 2013, Eric wrote “Categorically Not the Testimonies,” an often quoted article in Friends Journal. He asked Friends not to box their testimonies into the SPICES (simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, stewardship) because they are, by definition, in a “state of perpetual unfinishedness.”
After retiring from AFSC at the age of 68, Eric was Resident Friend at Redwood Forest Meeting in Santa Rosa, Calif., from May 2016 to May 2019.
As his health declined, in 2019, Eric moved to Chicago to live with Zachary and his family.
Eric is survived by his son, Zachary (Joy Richardson); and two grandchildren.
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