Sheila D. Moore

Sheila Denise Moore, daughter of the late Clyde Lewis and Marian Jackson Lewis, was born on November 26, 1945 in Baltimore, Maryland. She departed this life on March 11, 2017 after a lengthy illness. She received her secondary education at Edmondson High School. She went on to Villa Julie College where she was the first African-American student and graduate. She then went on to Morgan State University where she matriculated with a Bachelors of Science degree in Biology. Sheila met Robert Barber Moore in 1967 where they were both volunteers for African-American Baltimore City Council candidate, Walter Lively. Sharing a dedication to social justice and each other, they married in 1968. Out of this union two children were born, Mahdi Toure and Khari Nyere. Above all else, she loved her family, especially the younger generations. She pursued a career in the Baltimore City Public Schools for 20 years, where she taught at Harlem Park and Oakleigh. She also taught at Park Heights Street Academy and Maarifa Elementary and Middle School. Throughout her career she was a mentor who believed in empowering and educating others. Sheila’s passion was to uplift, educate and preserve African-American culture. She was honored by many organizations for her dedication, most notably by Minister Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam and Rev. Al Sharpton of the National Action Network. Sheila also helped organize the Million Man March, served as a Baltimore City Teachers Union representative, and was a National Kidney Foundation advocate. A quiet woman, she was known for her determined spirit and her bright smile. She was a great listener, but when she spoke you knew she had something to say. She sacrificed to raise her beloved sons and was revered by her extended family. Though she never drove, Sheila did not let that stop her from traveling around the city to be active in cultural activities and conduct her business. You never knew where she might show up. She often took younger members of the family, neighborhood kids and friends on educational trips to Washington, D.C. and points beyond. Sheila was predeceased by her brother, Clyde Lewis. She leaves to cherish her memory, her two sons Mahdi (Connie) Moore and Khari (Taya) Moore; sisters, Claudette Lake and Elaine Williams; brothers David Williams and Rob Williams; grandchildren, Mikel, Michelle and Khira Moore, Kelly Holsey, Lanae Dillard, Asia Stanley, Kevin Brandon and Jamia Ellis; great-granddaughter, Mikayla Moore; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends that will miss her dearly. Moreover, we give special honor to her best friends and confidants, Lola Jenkins Reid and Maat (Chaneta Reynolds); and her former husband, Robert Barber Moore, with whom she remained friends throughout the years.

Tributes

Sheila D. Moore

November 26, 1945 - March 11, 2017