Beatrice Sharpless Moore, 96, English teacher and world traveler
Dr. Moore knew from the time she was in high school that she wanted to be an English teacher. She studied hard, earned advanced degrees, and made her dream come true.
Beatrice Sharpless Moore, 96, of Philadelphia, whose zest for world travel was surpassed only by her love of teaching English, died Thursday, March 22, of dementia at the Terrace at Chestnut Hill–Meridian Senior Living.
Dr. Moore was the youngest of 10 children born to Paul James and Florence Rebecca Sharpless in Wilmington, N.C. In a June 9, 2004, oral history on file with the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, she was interviewed as an alumna of a Southern high school about her recollections of childhood.
"My father passed when I was very young," Dr. Moore said, "so I really don't remember him, but I grew up where I was born, so my roots have been here for years. Of course, as they say, you spoil the baby, and they probably spoiled me, because I really didn't have to do anything."
She enrolled in Willistown Industrial High School, and very soon realized she had an affinity for reading and English.
"The thing about it was, the teachers in those days came to visit your parents," Dr. Moore said in the oral history. "Many of my teachers had taught my sisters and brothers, so they knew me. I was the best reader in the class.
"Sometimes the teacher would begin to read a story, and I'd get called up to read it. I would sit at the desk, and I just loved that. I wanted to be a teacher."
Dr. Moore was intent on getting a college education. "I did my work, I studied. I got a scholarship to Knoxville College when I graduated. That's why I went there," she said.
The Tennessee college was run by Presbyterians. "During those days, the schools were not integrated, but we had good teachers, teachers who really cared," Dr. Moore said in the oral history. "I learned a lot because after I left here, I was able to compete in any venue I found myself."
In 1942, Dr. Moore received a bachelor's degree in education at Knoxville. While there, she met and married Samuel E. Moore Jr. In 1944, she received a master of arts degree from the University of Illinois, and much later, in 1983, she earned a doctorate in education from the University of Pennsylvania.
"Bea," as Dr. Moore was known, moved with her husband to Philadelphia, where they raised three children.
In the 1950s, Dr. Moore began teaching at Shoemaker Junior High School. She transferred to Lincoln High School, Gratz High School, and Northeast High School. While at Gratz and Northeast, she was head of the English department.
In 1985, Dr. Moore left Northeast for a job teaching English as an adjunct professor at St. Joseph's University. She established a scholarship fund for minority students and an endowment for the college, both in her name, before retiring in 2001.
As much as Dr. Moore loved teaching, she also had a passion for travel. One summer, she conducted a missionary trip to Israel so her students could experience another country's religion and culture. That was the first of many trips she chaperoned to places such as Egypt, Africa, China, Japan, Spain and Greece, although later she traveled with her girlfriends.
"Many of her St. Joseph's students would eagerly wait to hear of her travel ventures, both national and overseas," her family said.
Dr. Moore was a member of the National Council of Teachers of English and the Modern Language Association of America.
At various times, she was a member of Calvary Episcopal Church, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, and St. Luke's Episcopal Church.
Dr. Moore, who "could dress to the nines," her family said, enjoyed touring art museums, and attending opera and the theater. She donated money to the Barnes Foundation, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the National Constitution Center.
She also liked brain teasers. "I'm a big Scrabble player, and I like to do crossword puzzles," Dr. Moore said in her 2004 oral history. "Those things keep your mind sharp, so they say."
Dr. Moore's husband died in 1983 at age 64. She is survived by children Samuel E. III, Monica, and Terence, and three grandchildren.
A viewing beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday, March 31, at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 5421 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19144, will be followed by a 10 a.m. funeral service. Interment is in Ivy Hill Cemetery.
Donations in Dr. Moore's name may be made to St. Luke's Episcopal Church at the address above.