McLeod Florist honors ‘Mr. Lights’ with holiday display

McLeod’€™s Flower Shop typically decorates its windows on South State Street in Concord, but this year, the store honors Don Moore with Holiday lights on the grounds of the store.

McLeod’€™s Flower Shop typically decorates its windows on South State Street in Concord, but this year, the store honors Don Moore with Holiday lights on the grounds of the store. GEOFF FORESTER—Monitor staff

McLeod’€™s Flower Shop typically decorates its windows on South State Street in Concord, but this year, the store honors Don Moore with Holiday lights on the grounds of the store.

McLeod’€™s Flower Shop typically decorates its windows on South State Street in Concord, but this year, the store honors Don Moore with Holiday lights on the grounds of the store. GEOFF FORESTER—Monitor staff

McLeod’€™s Flower Shop typically decorates its windows on South State Street in Concord, but this year, the store honors Don Moore with Holiday lights on the grounds of the store.

McLeod’€™s Flower Shop typically decorates its windows on South State Street in Concord, but this year, the store honors Don Moore with Holiday lights on the grounds of the store. GEOFF FORESTER—Monitor staff

McLeod’€™s Flower Shop typically decorates its windows on South State Street in Concord, but this year, the store honors Don Moore with Holiday lights on the grounds of the store.

McLeod’€™s Flower Shop typically decorates its windows on South State Street in Concord, but this year, the store honors Don Moore with Holiday lights on the grounds of the store. GEOFF FORESTER—Monitor staff

McLeod’€™s Flower Shop typically decorates its windows on South State Street in Concord, but this year, the store honors Don Moore with Holiday lights on the grounds of the store.

McLeod’€™s Flower Shop typically decorates its windows on South State Street in Concord, but this year, the store honors Don Moore with Holiday lights on the grounds of the store. GEOFF FORESTER—Monitor staff

McLeod’€™s Flower Shop typically decorates its windows on South State Street in Concord, but this year, the store honors Don Moore with Holiday lights on the grounds of the store.

McLeod’€™s Flower Shop typically decorates its windows on South State Street in Concord, but this year, the store honors Don Moore with Holiday lights on the grounds of the store. GEOFF FORESTER—Monitor staff

By MICHAELA TOWFIGHI

Monitor staff

Published: 12-16-2024 12:13 PM

For over two decades, Borough Road would come alive at the holidays. Inflatable Santa Claus waved to cars driving by. Deer and snowmen glimmered, with red, white and green lights galore. 

Don Moore was the architect behind the artistry. He had a collection of thousands of lights he’d put out each December.

In May, he died unexpectedly at 74. 

In his obituary, Moore was remembered as a husband, a father and a lifelong Concord resident. But “most famously” he was known as Mr. Lights – “a nickname given to him for his epic Christmas Light displays that expanded for over 32 years.”

This year, D. McLeod’s Florist in Concord is honoring Moore with their own lights display through Christmas. 

“We just thought it would be a great way to remember him and carry on the tradition,” said Fred Keach, a co-owner of the business and Concord city councilor. 

Moore was a part-time delivery driver for McLeod’s and died while having a heart attack on the job. The flower shop is a fourth-generation family-owned business in Concord and to Keach, employees like Moore were part of the family. 

“We were kind of a second family to Don,” he said. “There’s a connection. There’s a connection between the business and his family.”

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Before the holidays, Keach and his wife went to Moore’s house, combing through his shed of lights to pick a few for their display. 

Now, light-up snowflakes adorn the windows of McLeod’s and red and white lights wrap around the pole holding its sign. Inflatable Santa now waves to cars passing on South State Street. 

“It was a really important thing for Don to do and he just loved having hundreds of cars come by the house and enjoy them,” he said. “The tradition continues.”