Susan W. Moore, 71, passed away Aug. 1, 2021, at her home in Montgomery County.
She was born in Bristol, Va., to the late William M. “Bill”, Jr., and Mary Katherine Boy Williams.
A graduate of Virginia High School (1967), she earned a BS in math education from Radford College (1971) and an MS in math education from Old Dominion University (1981). Her 30-year career teaching math, physics, and chemistry in the Newport News School System began at Huntington Intermediate School and concluded at Menchville High School in 2001.
As an educator, she received multiple Teacher of the Year awards and was once recognized as the Virginia Junior Academy of Science Sponsor of the Year. She chaired the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) Physics Curriculum Revision committee and served on the UVA Teachers’ Institute planning committee, the VDOE Science Project Handbook committee, the VDOE Academic Tech Applied Science Writing team, the Christopher Newport University (CNU) Clinical Faculty, and multiple CNU VQUEST STARS Reforms projects.
She trained teachers in the Eisenhower Consortium at the Appalachian Educational Laboratory and was involved with the Department of Energy’s Teacher Research Associate program, serving as both a participant and a lead teacher.
After retiring from Newport News Schools, she undertook the development of various STEM outreach projects at NASA’s Langley Research Center, first as a volunteer in the Education Office, and then as an employee of Science Applications International Corp (SAIC) and Science Systems and Applications, Inc. (SSAI). She contributed to NASA’s SAGE III SOLAR, CERES S’COOL, GLOBE Contrail Education, and MY NASA DATA outreach programs.
Surpassing her love of teaching was her love of family. She was always eager to hear of the latest adventures of her grandchildren and cherished every visit with her immediate and extended family, whether it be over the phone or together on holidays, beach trips, or game-day tailgates. She was a member of Windsor Avenue, Denbigh, and Raleigh Court Presbyterian churches. Her servant’s heart was an overflow of her faith in Jesus Christ. She was a devoted Virginia Tech sports fan, saving her most intense cheers for VT wrestling and football.
She is survived by her husband of 49 years, Philip Moore; children Jason (Julie) Moore of Yorktown, Va., and Hunter (Anne) Moore of Roanoke; a brother John Edward (Ann) Williams of Lynchburg, Va.; grandchildren James, Journey, Hunter Manning, and Henry; a nephew, Brian (Laekan) Williams of Blacksburg; and a niece, Lauren (Tyler) Young of Lynchburg.
The family will begin welcoming friends at 10 a.m., followed by a memorial service at 11 a.m., on Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021, at McCoy Funeral Home, 150 Country Club Dr. SW, Blacksburg, VA.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to The Mission Fund of Raleigh Court Presbyterian Church, 1837 Grandin Rd. SW, Roanoke, VA 24015.
